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Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Reva Electric Car Company has made the Indian car market proud at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The two new electric car models from Reva, NXR and NXG, were unveiled at the show and soon became show stoppers and stole a lot o car lovers’ hearts. The company had the European markets in mind, when it unveiled these two new cars at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Now for those who had been tangled with the thought of when these two new cars will be launched India. Both the NXR and NXG is expected to get launched by the mid of 2011. To be very precise, the NXR will be launched by mid-2010 and the NXG will be launched by mid-2011. NXR is a lithium-ion powered four-seater electric car and the NXG is a sporty two seater. Those of you, who are planning to own one, get ready to shell out Rs 10.49 lakh for the NXR intercity version and Rs.16.1 lakh for the NXG. And this is excluding the price for the lithium ion battery. The NXR has an acid battery option also and it will be priced at Rs. 6.99 lakh. This is the approximate pricing of the new Revas in the European market. And it is expected that there will not be much change on the price at which it will be available in India. It is for sure pretty expensive. But you cannot also expect anything less for these electric cars. The question here is, will the Indian car lovers really care that much for the environment and buy this electric car when they can use the same money to buy more attractive cars with high tech and alluring features. Both these models will have a distinctive recharging technique. The new REVive, an invisible fuel tank and the customer SMSes or telephones RECC, which helps in immediate remote recharge. Labels: Electric-Car, Frankfurt-Motor-Show, REVA, Reva-NXG, Reva-NXR
Japan’s third largest car maker has denied its plans to bring in its luxury brand Infiniti to India. Nissan Motor Company revealed that high import duties on Completely Built Units (CBUs), less demand for such cars, prohibitively expensive spare parts and infrastructure bottlenecks are the reason for opting out to launch the Infiniti brand. Moreover, India is a very critical market for the car major in the long run and all its investment plans and product launches are still on track. The Infiniti car division Nissan officially started selling vehicles on November 8, 1989 in North America and its global operations have since grown to include the Middle East, South Korea, Russia, Switzerland, China and Ukraine. Infiniti began sales in additional European markets in late 2008. But the Japanese car manufacturer is willing to introduce nine new models to the Indian car bazaar by 2012. Besides, Nissan also plans to earmark India one of its key manufacturing locations for its compact cars, which include products such as Micra. The chief reasons cited by the company were low-cost advantage, vast pool of talented workforce, engineering expertise, etc. The low-cost, but trained manpower, thousands of component makers and easy access to growing markets make India an attractive destination for small cars. India will be an export hub for compact cars for many countries, especially for Europe from the second half of 2010. Nissan which is scheduled to unveil its revamped Micra in March 2010 at the Geneva Motor show plans to launch the same in India after a couple of months. It may be recalled that in the past Toyota has refuted to launch its luxury brand ‘Lexus’ in India and Honda has said no to ‘Acura’. Labels: Acura, Infiniti, Lexus, Nissan, Nissan-Motor-Company, Toyota
The Frankfurt Motor Show concluded on 27th September amidst much fan-fare. A total of 781 auto manufacturers and auto parts manufacturers from 30 countries took part in the show to display about 100 new models, during the motor show. Aston Martin presented the four-door coupe Rapide and Audi unveiled the R8 Spyder and the E-Tron Concept car. Ford came with its 7-seater C-Max minivan and Lamborghini with Reventon Roadster that carries a 6.5-liter V12 651 bhp engine with all-wheel-drive. The Lexus LF-Ch Concept combines stylish design and full hybrid technology. The Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari is a small exciting car that will provide practical urban mobility. Ferrari also showcased the 458 Italia. The 2011 Volvo C30 is an awesome hatchback that will go on sales in US in 2010. Jaguar showed its 2010 XJ at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The updated 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo appeared alongside the 911 GT3 RS and 911 Sport Classic in Frankfurt. BMW presented the Vision EfficientDynamics concept at the Frankfurt Auto Show along with the BMW 335d, X1 and X6 Hybrid. The last of the GM-engineered Saabs, the Epsilon II-based 2010 Saab 9-5, debuted at Frankfurt too. Volkswagen came up with the L1 Concept, e-Up! The muscular Bentley Mulsanne, the Mini Coupe Concept and the Mini Roadstet Concept were revealed too. Bugatti present the Sanf Bleu and the electric buggy that once belonged to the King of Belgium. The refreshed 2010 Dodge Caliber also made its official debut at Frankfurt. The Mazda MX-5 Superlight Concept made its first public appearance at the Auto Show. The 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Wagon, the Mercedes-Benz SLS Electric and the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG also revealed at the 63rd IAA. The Opel Ampera is a four-door, plug-in series hybrid that was still in Opel's booth at Frankfurt and the 2010 Prius plug-in hybrid concept grace Toyota’s stall. The Maserati GranCabrio too showed up on the Stage. India’s only electric car company, REVA displayed its NXG and the NXR models. Labels: Audi, Bentley-Mulsanne, Frankfurt-Motor-Show, Volkswagen
 It seems in India the luxury car price is sky rocketing and it is the high import duty that should be held responsible. Recently did we read of the expected Indian launch of the fastest car in the world, SSC Ultimate Aero. With a price tag of Rs. 6 crore, it will not only hold the title of the fastest car in the Indian car market but also that of the most expensive car. The next car in the queue to get a high price tag because of the high import duty is the Porsche Panamera. The car is expected to be launched next week and will be priced a humungous Rs. 2 crore. But the car is priced only half the amount outside India. The sole importer of the Panamera, Precision Cars India, has already received 13 booking for the sedan. And the company foresees a bright future for Panamera in India and expects to sell at least 50 Panameras in the fiscal year 2009. The Panamera was unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2009. This four-door super sedan is available in three models, the Turbo, the rear-wheel-drive Porsche Panamera S, and the four-wheel-drive 4S. Similar to the Porsche Cayenne SUV engine, the Panamera S, Panamera Turbo and 4S models are available in a 4.8-litre V8 engine, which offers direct fuel injection, one-sided variable camshaft management system with adjustable valve lift. In India, it is still not clear, in which all trim levels and options it will be available. The Panamera full option car would include Sports chrono package, adaptive air suspension, dynamic chassis control, and ceramic brakes. Both in the interiors and the exteriors of the car has a very sporty designing. And the Panamera has all the driving characteristics of a Porsche. Well the Panamera is sure to steal many hearts in this festival season. Labels: Porsche, Porsche Cayenne, Porsche-Panamera, SSC-Ulimate-Aero
It is nothing but complete confidence that Maruti Suzuki has gained from all these years in the Indian car market. Maruti has always been a successful player and the models from the car maker, all of them, were always capable of satisfying the likes of the Indian car customers. From Maruti 800 to the Maruti Suzuki Ritz, the company has always been a leader in the Indian car market, small car market in specific. There is also a popular notion that Maruti makes great small cars and better than big models. Its excellence as a small car maker can be accepted without disputes. And now the company is making most of the market favourism prevailing in India for the small cars. The company is planning to bring out yet another car. The new small car from the Maruti’s stable will be codenamed YP8. But unlike before, there is a huge difference this time regarding the developing and marketing of the model. This car will be a purely Indian car, which will be made exclusively for the Indian car market. This desi car will be designed and manufactured keeping in mind only the Indian road conditions and customer needs. And now Maruti is in the process of shaping up its desi YP8 at the company’s facility in Gurgaon. The car will be built on the Maruti Swift platform and will have a K-series engine similar to the one you will find in an A-Star. For bring the first ever desi car from the company, the engineers at the Maruti is working in groups now, which would be concentrating on design, interiors, and engine. This small car is expected to be unveiled at the Delhi Auto Expo next year. As the car is fully developed and designed in India, by Maruti, it need not have to pay any loyalty to Suzuki. Isn’t it wonderful to think that the car makers have finally started to think the Indian way? Labels: K-Series-Engine, Maruti, Maruti-Suzuki-A-Star, Maruti-Suzuki-YP8, Small –Car, Suzuki, Swift
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
 The new Mercedes SLS AMG is still able to enchant the onlookers the same way it did in 1954, five decades back. The W198 300SL of the past was a crowd snatcher and had pioneered in launching the famous gull wing doors. The history is set to repeat itself. The new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, which has been unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, is not a very pretty model like its predecessor though, but the legendry gull wing reminds of the legend, the 300SL. Together with the classy features such as the long bonnet or the oversize front grille, which it has borrowed from the 300SL it also has a LED lights, huge alloy wheels, and extendable rear spoiler. The whole being of the SLS AMG is being inspired from an aircraft. And so, not only the wing-shaped doors but also the interior features and facilities of the car stems from the avionic insights. The most striking factor of the car, its doors, will certainly take your breath away. The doors of the car can be opened at 70 degrees vertically and when opened it looks like a flight that is getting ready to take off. The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is powered by a naturally aspirated 6.3-litre V8 engine. It also has a 7-speed double clutch gearbox and claims a 0-100 kph time in 3.5 seconds. The car also has a top speed of 313 kilometres per hour. The car with its all aluminium chassis and the weight saving engineering techniques the car weighs only 1620 kg. The interiors are rich with leather, carbofibre, and aluminium and also have eight airbags for additional safety. The car is scheduled to launch in 2010. The expected price of the sedan would be 1.24 crore in the UK. If the car is to be launched in India, it will be having a heavier price tag because of the high import duty. Labels: 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz-W198-300SL, New-Mercedes-SLS-AMG
 Now Indian sports car fans have another reason to rejoice. Japanese car honcho Nissan Motors has announced that the company is all set to drive in its new Z370 in India. The sports car will be introduced in 2010 as a part of its strategy to offer more variants to the Indian customers. The launch of the Nissan Z370 is scheduled to happen in January 2010 probably at New Delhi Auto Show. The Nissan Z370 will be coming to India through Complete Built Unit (CBU) route. That obviously means that the car will be pricey and can be estimated to be around Rs 40 Lakh. The Z370 will boast of a 3.7 L V6 engine mated to a 7-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifts. The engine can give out a power of 332 bhp. The sports car from Nissan Motor come with a rear-wheel-drive and will deliver an outstanding performance and superior handling. The exterior of the Z370 comes with sleek curves that are crafted to cut through the air for an exhilarating performance. The design of the headlights is the most striking feature on the fascia as they are shaped like a “boomerang” for better visibility and style. The rear spoiler will provide improved aerodynamics to the car. The sports car will run on 5 spoke 18-inch light-weight aluminium alloy wheels. At present the demand for sports car in the Indian car market is very low. But over a period of time, this will definitely change considering the recent market scenario. Nissan will unveil its small car Micra in 2010 in the Indian market and this hatchback will come in three variants of petrol and diesel. Nissan has recently launched the facelifted versions of the Teana and the X-Trail in India. Labels: Nissan- Z370, Nissan-Micra, Nissan-Teana, Nissan-X-Trail, Sports-Car, Z370, Z370-Sports-Car
You must have been dumbfounded reading the headline of the blog. India’s fourth automobile maker as well as the country topmost Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) manufacturer is enlisted in the Forbes Magazine. Mahindra & Mahindra has featured in Forbes’ Asian Fab 50 List, which is a compilation of the best listed companies in the Asia-Pacific region. Moreover, as many as thirteen Indian companies have featured on the list, including Reliance Industries, Infosys Technologies and Tata Steel, besides Mahindra & Mahindra. This year, Forbes started with a universe of 910 companies with at least $3 billion in revenue or a $3 billion market capitalization. Candidates are then shortlisted on the basis of each company’s five-year track record for revenue, operating earnings and return on capital. Apart from these, the companies’ most recent results, share-price movements and the outlook for the year ahead are also scrutinized. Besides, a loss in the last fiscal year is taken as a drawback and knocks the company out of the list. Judgment calls must be made, given the differences in transparency, accounting and conditions among countries. Mahindra appeared on the Forbes’ list with sales off 12%, net earnings 29%. Mahindra emerged in the Indian car industry sixty years ago as a Jeep maker and has been well-known worldwide for its flagship model, the Scorpio. The company has ventured into the passenger-car segment with the Logan in Aril 2007 under a joint venture with France based Renault. At present the company is planning to start selling pickups in the US in January and an SUV model is expected the US in December. Labels: Forbes-Magazine, Mahindra-Mahindra, Mahindra-Renault, Scorpio
We are still not the first, but we are certainly among the best small car market in the world. The Indian car market is now the second largest small car manufacturer. This is of course an achievement we can boast about. But this should not be a surprise for those who know the booming demand for small cars in India. The demand for small cars in India is not a new trend. The passion for small cars has a long history in the Indian car market. Most of the favourite cars of India are small cars. The Maruti 800, Maruti Alto, Hyundai Santro have all been successful for their compact nature and affordable pricing. And the auto makers were also happy to boost the small car sales bringing out more small cars. And this has now resulted in India becoming the second largest small car market in the world, where Brazil adorns the first place. The Indian small cars are in demand not only in the domestic market but there has also been a huge requirement globally resulting in a very high export percentage. Maruti has contributed a major part in the increasing sales of small cars. It has launched, in the past one year, very famous small cars including A-star, Ritz and facelifted Estilo. The future of small cars in the Indian market is also bright and gay. There has been a huge list of small cars that is awaiting its entry into the Indian small car market. Volkswagen Polo, Ford Figo, and Chevrolet Beat are just a few among them. Major companies like Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and Renault will be launching their new small cars in the near future. Meanwhile, companies like Toyota and Honda has already requesting the government to change the criterion that specifies a small car. It seems that the Indian small car industry will witness a huge change and it will be driven by the never fading demand for small cars. Labels: Maruti, Nissan, Renault, Small-Car, Toyota, Volkswagen
There was once a time when India’s mode of transportation was referred to in German industrial circles as the ‘world’s bullock cart’. But now things have utterly changed. At the 63rd IAA that concluded on Sunday, it has been noticed that the German car makers are very much interested to be a part of the ever growing Indian car market. One of the reasons is these car manufacturers are having a tough time in the markets of Europe, Japan and the US. German carmakers are trying to grab the attention of the markets in the so-called BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries. And India is the favourite destination of the global car makers as the country clearly stands out with a large cash-rich middle-class whose appetite for luxury products, including foreign brand-name cars. Hence it was no surprise that India was the centre of attraction at the Frankfurt's International Motor Exhibition, popularly known by its German acronym IAA. Moreover, a special India Day was organised to highlight the opportunities and challenges of the Indian market. The ten-day Frankfurt Motor Show which ended on 27th took place under a dark and uncertain atmosphere because of the dismal economic condition as a major crisis still continues to haunt the West's automobile industry. Germany's car industry continues to bleed with declining sales and revenue therefore the German carmakers feel that one "simply cannot bypass the future market India". To highlight the market potential, it has been mentioned at the India Day that whereas one out of two Germans drives a car, in India the ratio is 11 cars to 1,000 people. India is at present the world’s eleventh largest automobile producer and is poised to take up the seventh position by 2016. Moreover, Management consultancy Deloitte predicts that by 2020, consumers will prefer small and energy-efficient cars and production will take place mainly in Asia, another reason to woo India. It has been predicted that turnover volume in the Indian market in the coming seven years would rise from $36 billion to $115 billion. That would account for a 10 per cent share of India's GDP by 2016. The number of workers directly or indirectly employed by the automobile industry would double to 25 million. Besides, it has been revealed that Europe’s and Germany’s number one car maker Volkswagen will join hands with Japanese carmaker Suzuki which has a tie-up with India's Maruti. Indian carmakers at the Frankfurt event appeared confident and bullish, buoyed by the unprecedented attention they received at the exhibition. Consultancy firm Management Engineers has estimated that India's small-car market is the world's second fastest growing after China. The annual growth rate, it says, is 7-8 cars per 1,000 residents in India. Small cars presently account for some 61 percent of India's automobile market while vans and SUVs make up some 13 percent. But German automobile experts are aware that India is not a "cakewalk" and German automakers such as Audi, BMW and Daimler have experienced that Indians wanted "the best product at the lowest possible price". Labels: Frankfurt's-International-Motor-Exhibition, Frankfurt-Motor-Show, German-Car-Makers, IAA, Indian-car-industry, Indian-car-market
Friday, 25 September 2009
 “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of all?” The mirror answers, “Merc E550 (Coupe) is the fairest of them all.” Well, the Mercedes-Benz 2010 E550 Coupe has been voted as the most beautiful of all the E-Class models. The E-Class is the company's bestselling model worldwide. The E-Class model has a poised fascia with sleek and graceful contours. But the Mercedes-Benz 2010 E550 Coupe is exceedingly beautiful. The 2010 E 550 Coupe carries accent lines on the body with roofline arches exquisitely over a pillarless canopy. All these impart a jar dropping drop-dead gorgeous look. Moreover, its not just looks, Mercedes claims this coupe is the most aerodynamically efficient car in the world. The E550 Coupe with a 5.5-liter, 382 bhp V-8 engine can sprint to 100km/h in five seconds only. It has a seven-speed automatic transmission with manual-shift buttons on the steering wheel. This coupe can pass on anything on the road. Moreover, the E550’s cabin conjures a hushed purr at relaxed speed. How does it feel? The steering wheel is like a stitched-leather barbell. The tactile feedback through the seat and floor is one of heavily damped, cold steel structure attenuated through the fine-grain leather. The 2010 E 550 Coupe's interior gets a dose of high-end upholstery which is usually associated with Mercedes' premium AMG-edition models. The Mercedes-Benz E-Coupe is the replacement for the long-lived CLK Coupe and is based on the smaller C-Class chassis. Loaded with new standard features -- pelvic and knee air bags, driver drowsiness sensor, panoramic roof -- and kitted with ample Mercedes luxury, the E-Coupe is fast, athletic and beguiling. The E-Coupe comes in two flavours. The other version is the E350 that comes with a 3.5-liter, 268 bhp V-6 engine and can dash 0-100km/h in 6.2 seconds. Labels: 2010-E550, 2010-E550-Coupe, Aerodynamics, AMG-Edition, C-Class, CLK-Coupe, E-Class, E-Coupe, E350, E550, E550-Coupe, Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz-2010-E550-Coupe
You might laugh out loud when you read this blog first or you might just nod your head in approval. But what has been written is no fancy and not stemmed from imagination. It is the fact, the bare fact that was revealed in a study that was conducted recently. People who drive enjoying to the songs of Eminem, Dizzee Rascal, or Jay Z (All Rapsters) are more prone to accidents. And now those crazy fans of rap need to be really careful while driving listening to music. The aggressive toned lyrics of your favourite number sung by the rap artiste you idolize could cost you your own life. In a survey conducted by a leading auto magazine in which over 2,000 drivers took part, about half of the volunteers readily admitted that while driving, the rap or hip hop music affects them adversely rather than soothing them or calming them down. The ratio of drivers who admitted that rap music has a bad effect on them is one is to five. But there are others who feel really calmed down listening to the rap while driving. And this conflicting opinion is brought out in a report by a top newspaper. But the numbers are really low. Only six per cent feels so. You better be cautious before playing those hip hop music loud while driving as the music is capable of vibrating not only the car but also the surround area. The music might enchant you and just take you to another world, detached from the state of reality you might end up meeting with a car accident. And more than the elderly drivers, it is the young males who will be listening to rap and this is double-trouble as they will be least bothered about the traffic rules. Don’t think it is only the rap music which is devastating, it could be any music. So the moral of the story is listening to music while driving is no harm, but forgetting that you are driving will invite danger. Labels: Car-Accidents-In-India, Rap-Music
 Yes, the Rolls-Royce Phantom is on the way to get an electric version. Why not? The latest fad is either to have a blue or green heart. And the luxury car maker has decided bring in the Phantom sedan in a new incarnation with a blue heart. Besides, the torque curve of an electric motor suits the Rolls-Royce mission perfectly, as would the distinct lack of noise, vibration and harshness. Sounds like a match made in heaven! If you are thinking about sourcing a suitable large battery for the three-tonne Phanton, we would like to barge in your thoughts and say that it shouldn’t be a problem. With electric motors and lithium-ion batteries being available almost off the shelf, the Phantom can get hold of them from its parent company BMW. This luxury car behemoth has showcased its Electric Vehicles (EVs), the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept, Active Hybrid X6 and Active Hybrid 7-Series at the ongoing Frankfurt Motor Show. The Phantom EV could cost much less than a normal Rolls Royce Phantom. Currently, the Phantom is powered by a 6.75L V12 453 bhp engine and costs around half-a-million dollars. The Phantom is the Rolls-Royce’s replacement for the original Silver Ghost. Labels: Electric Vehicle, EV, Luxury-car-maker, Phantom-EV, Phantom-Sedan, Rolls-Royce, Rolls-Royce-Phantom, Silver-Ghost, V12-Engine
 It seems the Maruti Suzuki is having second thoughts about its SX4. No, it is not planning to stop producing the mid-size sedan, but instead the company will be bringing out a power-packed version of the mid-size sedan. Except for those three initial months after its launch, the Maruti Suzuki SX4 has never bought the company much profit. And the company’s plan to launch a revived model of SX4 is to surely meet the growing demands of the Indian car buyers. There is a very famous notion that the Maruti car models will not satisfy the needs of a big car customer. And with the launch of the power-packed SX4, Maruti is now trying to rub off this thought from the minds of the car buyers. But the company should take special care to not make even a minor mistake this time around. Doing so, it will adversely affect the sales of the model and the remaining notion will gain more momentum. So the company should really be careful in taking a decision as the other car model it has to compete in the segment is the all powerful Honda City. And for Honda City, not only does the superior designing and elegant help them win the crowd; it is also the brand name and class that will pull in more sales for the company. And for Maruti SX4, it has once lost the race with Honda City. And if the same happens again, it could be really disastrous. Maruti SX4 is expected to be relaunch within a fortnight. And it will be powered by a new 1.6-litre engine that will have a much higher pick-up. And there will also be an additional automatic variant too. It will also meet the Bharat lV emission norms. Yes of course, there will be a hike in the pricing of the new car; it is expected to be priced higher than the current top-end Zxi variant, which comes at Rs 7.5 lakh. Labels: Honda-City, Maruti-Suzuki, Maruti-SX4, Mid-Size-Sedan, Power-Packed-Version
Thursday, 24 September 2009
 Tata Nano is a car that was received by the Indian car customers with great expectations and pomp. Even though it was the cheapest car and the initial booking of the car crossed 2 lakh, there were still many who were not interested in the small car as it lacked many features that are available in the base models of cars these days. And it didn’t take much time before it hit the headlines again, for not delivering the cars on time. There also came the news about how customers, one by one, are withdrawing their booking. But now here is something which you would never have thought about. The Tata Nano is been resold, even before they are been used for a higher price! Yes, you have just read the fact right. There is still an increased demand prevailing in the market for this small wonder car. And that could be the only reason why this car is been sold by the customers before it reaches their hands. And another obvious reason, why such a resale is happening, is that are people who are willing to pay almost 30 per cent higher price for the model. This might give Tata a new idea of increasing the price of the car, even though not in lakh but at least in thousands. And it is sure that the increased price won’t bring down the demand of the car. But the company will not be doing so because the company will not be interested in breaking the promise of delivering the customers with a one lakh rupee car. Labels: Cheapest-Car, Nano-Resale, Small-Car, Tata, Tata-Nano
 The U.S. Department of Energy has granted a loan of $528 Million to Fisker Automotive to build plug-in hybrid cars. The loan will facilitate Fisker Automotive’s full scale production of plug-in hybrid electric cars. The US Department of Energy has signed and agreed to the terms of a conditional totaling over half a billion dollars so that Henrik Fisker’s car company can create affordable, fuel efficient hybrid electric cars. The $528,000,000 loan will also allow Fisker Automotive CEO, Henrik Fisker to create at least 5,000 jobs for autoworkers in the country. Fisker Automotive is a joint venture between Fisker Coachbuild and Quantum Technologies and the company is based at in Irvine, California. The company's sole existing product, the Fisker Karma is a plug-in hybrid luxury sports car. Fisker intends to sell its Karma PHEV in late 2009 in the US and in the second quarter of 2010 in Europe. The Fisker Karma was revealed on 14 January 2008. The Karma features the Q-Drive technology and is powered by an innovative petrol engine/electric motors combination. The Fisker Karma can be fitted with a solar paneled roof not only to aid in the recharging of its Lithium-Ion batteries but also to aid the cabin climate control system. Fisker Automotive have suggested that the Karma will be capable of running 100 km for 2.4 litre. Despite it’s eco-friendly background the Karma features a 201 km/h top speed and is capable of reaching 100 km/h from a standstill in 5.8 seconds. It is no doubt that fuel efficient electric hybrid cars are going to be the next generation of personal transportation. Labels: Electric-Cars, Fisker-Karma, Karma-PHEV, Plug-in-Hybrid-Vehicles
 This time the Camaro Bumblebee is not chasing Sam Witwicky, while he was riding his mother’s pink bicycle; the car is going under the hammer. Yes, we mean the one used in the Transformers. The Bumblebee of Transformers fame is not the 2010 Chevy Camaro, but a rather dilapidated looking 1977 Camaro. It has to be noted here that the original Bumblebee was a Volkswagen Beetle. Whatsoever it is, the Bumblebee Camaro is now up for sale. The car, naturally, is far from peak condition, but it does have all the necessary equipment to make it functional. Moreover, it also comes with a certificate of authenticity from Bay Films, which means that this specific car was, in fact, the one that was used in the first movie and the very same one Mikaela (Megan Fox) called a ‘piece of crap Camaro’ forcing Bumblebee to upgrade his model. We don’t have a price on the car yet, but we heard that it’s being sold for around $12,000 – to $15,000. Considering the world-wide fame – or notoriety – this car was able to garner from being in the movie, we think that it’s a bargain worth looking into. The 1977 Camaro has been painted yellow with black stripes to be used in the movie. This famous car used in movie is further upgraded with primer and rust patches, riveted hood scoop, Cragar SS wheels up front, Eric Vaughn Real Wheels in the back, marine-grade vinyl seats and even an eight-track player. The Chevrolet Camaro is classified as a pony car. The Camaro is, in fact, a popular muscle car. Labels: Bumblebee, Camaro, Camaro-Bumblebee, Chevrolet-Camaro, Muscle-Car-Camaro, Transformer-Bumblebee
 The Australian arm of Ford Motors has assisted the parent company in bringing out the small car, Ford Figo, in India. (Maybe, this is Oz’s redemption after all the racial abuses!) The word is around that Ford Australia has taken a lead role in the development of the multi-million dollar project in India for the Figo. The Ford Figo is the fourth big international design job undertaken at Ford Australia, a lead design and engineering centre for the Asia-Pacific and Africa regions. The Ford small car was unveiled yesterday and will go on sale next year. The Figo is based on the previous generation Fiesta hatch but has undergone significant engineering changes in accordance to the Indian market condition. Ford's rendezvous with India has been neither warm nor cold. Ford’s existence in the Indian car market has taught the company the baffling ways of how the Indian car market works. The car major has learned that price is the king and small cars mean big volumes. To secure its presence in the country, Ford India has come up the Ford Figo. The Ford Figo is aggressively priced below the Ford Ikon. The Figo will be standing against the Hyundai i20, Maruti Suzuki Swift and the Tata Indica Vista. Labels: Ford, Ford-Figo, Ford-India, Ford-Motor-Company, Ford-Motors, Ford-Small-Car
True partners render and seek help at the hour of need and that is exactly what is happening between the French car maker Renault and Nissan. This year, Renault had a very sad first half, and now Nissan will be launching its compact car in India, using the compact car platform of Nissan. And this will be of great help for Renault as it will not have to spend on any product development. Both the cars, Nissan’s Micra and the Renault-Nissan compact car, which shares its platform with the Nissan compact car, as both the cars will be manufactured at the still constructing Chennai plant and will have similar component sourcing facilities and production lines. Now, this will be an altogether different car and is not the low-cost car that the two companies have planned to manufacture together with the Indian motorcycle manufacturer, Bajaj Auto and is expected to launch in 2011. Nissan has great compact car plans for India for the next few years. By the mid of next year Nissan is expected to launch a compact car with the seating capacity of five. And by 2012 three new cars will be launched using the same platform. Not only will Nissan be using the same platform for manufacturing other cars but Renault will also be using them for its compact car or sedan, or for both. This will be the first occurrence in the Indian car market where two manufacturers are using the same platform for manufacturing many cars. But don’t you think that sharing the same platform makes two cars look alike, no it is never so, Maruti Suzuki Ritz and Swift and Honda City and Jazz share the same platform, but don’t they look different? But one thing is for sure, the Indian car market will, in no time, be flooded with compact and small cars. Labels: Compact-Car, Honda-City, Maruti-Suzuki-Ritz, Nissan, Renault, Small-Car
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
 Seems like all the car makers are in a car launching spree in India these days! We all know the reason behind it, right? We, here at Carazoo.com, are there to help make our readers select a car from the wide collection of latest launches. Now we have another luxury car in the market. German car maker Mercedes-Benz India has introduced an all-new version of the 2010 E-Class sedan in India. The new 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is priced at Rs 46.98 Lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The new variant of the E-Class can boast a 3.5 litre V-6 petrol engine under its bonnet. The engine can tap 268 bhp at 6000rpm and can deliver a hefty torque of 350 Nm. The twin-trapezoidel headlamps and the uber cool upright grille are borrowed from past cars. Same is the case with the square-out bumpers, flanks and rear view mirrors. The new E-Class is an enormous car with ample of space in the interior. The posh cabin has wood inserts for a classy feel. Moreover, the electric seat adjustments are on the door for easy access. This sedan has been assembled very much in India. The luxury car maker has sold a total of 11,000 units of the existing E-Class in the country till date. Labels: 2010-Mercedes-Benz-E-Class, E-Class, Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz-E-Class, New-2010-Mercedes-Benz E-Class, New-E-Class
The much-awaited small car from the US auto major Ford has been unveiled in New Delhi. The car has been christened Figo. Ford Figo is a four-door hatchback that will be available in both diesel as well as petrol engines. Figo has the main elements of Ford’s kinetic design language such as modern headlamps, grille shapes and sculpted bonnet of its distinctive face to the subtle integrated spoiler and chamfered window shape at the rear, which the company has used in world renowned vehicles such as Ford Mondeo, Ford Focus, and the Ford Fiesta. It also has very contemporary features, with a completely new look that is very different from the usual Ford models. Figo is a synonym of car that has essence, superiority and intelligent designing, which is truly Italian inspired very similar to the name of the car which in Italian means cool. It also has a solid posture and a very spacious and elegant interior. The Figo is designed to best suit the urban driving conditions. The Figo also has a molded body side with chiseled front fenders, a “comet tail” undercut in the doors and additional light-catching sculpting in the lower body side. The Figo has a bold graphic with large side window shape and spaciousness awaiting occupants’ front and rear and the side window graphic has a blacked-out B-pillar. The engine specification or transmission details are not available. The production of the car will begin in the early months of 2010. The company has also not yet unveiled any details about the pricing of the car, but it is expected to be priced at something higher than Rs. 3 lakh.  Labels: Ford, Ford Fiesta, Ford-Figo, Small-Car
 What is Tata Motors up to? As the writer would try to impose his thoughts on to the readers, that would be exactly what most of you are going to think after reading this blog. Well, in fact, each of us should be proud of this Indian auto giant, for having always given us chances to imagine and envision about motor glorified tomorrows. The company launched its Land Rover Freelander 2, a much awaited SUV, in the Indian car market yesterday and also has promises for upgraded models from the manufacturer that will be available in the country from November this year. The 2010 Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and the Land Rover Discovery 3, with some interior and exterior upgraded Indian features, are the new cars in the list. And if you trust the company so much that you do not find it necessary to know the changes in the new upgraded vehicles, you can as well book the new upgraded models right away. The bookings are open for one obvious reason; the Indian car Industry will see a tremendous hike in sales in the next few months as it is the festival season in the country, but as Tata is not ready to launch the new models now they don’t want to kill this golden opportunity and is readying the car for those who is not adamant about owing one new car soon after all the celebrations. Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and Discovery 3 are already available in the Indian car market. And the new models will surely improve the sales for this car maker. But recollecting the news about how Tata in general is doing a great business, but is still unable to revive itself from the tangle of ‘no gain’ from the JLR buyout, do they really have to hurry on such things. Labels: Land-Rover, Land-Rover-Discovery-3, Land-Rover-Freelander-2, Range-Rover, Range-Rover-Sport, Tata-Motors
 The fastest growing Indian car industry has a fast companion, the fastest car of the world, Ultimate Aero. And the proud manufacturer of this speed muncher is Shelby Super Car (SSC) a US-based company that is expecting to make a grand entry into the Indian car market. Well, for all the features and functions available in the car, it will indeed receive a red carpet entry in India, especially into the minds of the Indian car lovers, who would all be eagerly waiting for the day the car will be available in India. Even though they cannot buy one, they are excited about the mere thought of seeing it adorning the Indian roads. The Aero is expected to be launched in Mumbai in the near future, let us also hope that our wishes come true. Delhi will follow Mumbai in the list of cities where the Aero will be launched. Aero holds a Guinness World Record for being the fastest car in the world. The top speed of Aero is 413 kilometres per hour. In the United States, where the car is been manufactured, it costs only Rs. 3 crore, thanks to the high import duty in the country, which is as high as 100 per cent, it will make Aero the costliest car available in the Indian car industry as the car would be priced at Rs 6 crore when it makes inroads to India. And so Mercedes-Benz Maybach with a price tag of Rs 5 crore will be pushed to the second place. The light weight car is manufactured with lightweight titanium and carbon fibre materials and is powered by a 6.35L twin-turbo V8 engine. India will be the third country where the Aero will be launched, US and Russia being the other two. Labels: Costliest-Car, Fastest-Car, Twin-Turbo-V8-Engine, Ultimate-Aero
 The wait is finally going to get over when Ford India will unveil its small car today. The small car codenamed B517 will be flagged off by the CEO of Ford Motor Company, Alan Mulally. The CEO has flown to India just for the purpose. The last time, the company’s CEO visited India was at the launch of the Ford Fiesta in2005. Bill Ford, grandson of Henry Ford, had come to India to launch the sedan. Moreover, it has to be noted that since that time, Ford India has not had a new product launch, but has continued to upgrade its existing product line. This small car is very critical and crucial to the future success and growth of the company in India. The Indian arm of the Ford Motor Company has sweated out to localise the car. Moreover, it is going to be Ford’s cheapest offering as the B517 will be priced a little more than Rs 3 Lakh. The Ford small car will be spacious and come in two engine variants. The petrol version will be driven by a 1.2-litre engine and a 1.4-litre engine will power the diesel variant. These indigenous engines also power the Ford Ikon and the Fiesta. The engines also meet the government's small car excise norms. The small car will pit itself against the upcoming Volkswagen Polo, Nissan Micra and the New Chevrolet Beat (code M300). The Ford B517 will also stand against the existing Hyundai i20 and the Swift model in the market. The arrival of Ford’s small car would sound death knell for its competitors. This new Ford model will go on sale in March 2010. Then, why display the car now? Rewinding the history of Ford Motors, it was never part of Auto Expo where every car maker loves to bring their new babies to the public eye. Hence Ford might have felt the festive season would be auspicious time for the launch of small car. Labels: Alan-Mulally, CEO-of-Ford-Motor-Company, Codenamed-B517, Ford-B517, Ford-India, Ford-Motor-Company, Ford-Motors, Ford-Small-Car, Ford-Small-Car-Launch
 Though General Motors has denied the fact, we have heard that the second largest car maker of the world has a hybrid Corvette project on the drawing board. The regular 2010 Corvette comes with a 430 bhp LS3 6.2-liter V8 engine and six-speed manual transmission. The car can deliver a mileage of 6.8 km/l in the city and 10.2 km/l on the highway. Creating a plugin Corvette is possible as we have witnessed the Fisker Karma. The Fisker Karma is a plug-in hybrid luxury sports sedan that can crank out 400 bhp. We shouldn’t forget that when the Chevy Volt concept was first unveiled, sometimes it used to be referred to as an electric Camaro indicating to its very sporty design. But that sportiness was scaled back somewhat in favor of more widespread appeal when the car went into production. However, the Chevrolet Corvette remains General Motors’ iconic lynchpin sports car. It is powered by a very highly spirited line of V8 gas engines, though new CAFE rules regulating a fleet average of 15 km/l by 2016 have some pundits wondering if the sports car’s days could be numbered. The GM Vice Chairman of Product Development says that the V8 engine of the super car will stay. Down the road, he plans to keep the car alive no matter what it takes even if that means hybridization. So, what do you think? Isn’t it a hint at rolling out a Corvette hybrid in future? Labels: Chevrolet-Corvette, Chevrolet-Volt, Chevy-Camaro, Corvette, Fisker-Karma, General-Motors, GM, Hybrid-Corvette, Luxury-Sports-Sedan, Plug-in Hybrid
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
 It has been a much anticipated launch and finally it has happened, the highly acclaimed Freelander 2 has been introduced in the India car market by Land Rover. And now Freelander 2 will join its predecessors such as Discovery 4, the quintessential sports tourer, the Range Rover Sport, and the ultimate luxury 4x4, the Range Rover that had all been launched in India in June 2009. The Freelander 2 is distinct compact premium 4x4 segment. It has in it all the characteristic of a Land Rover such as purposeful stance, dynamic design, smart and spacious interior, and an profusion of advanced technologies and the most important of them all - an exceptional on-road performance and class-leading off-road ability. The Freelander 2 is available in a 2.2 litre common rail turbodiesel engine. The Freelander 2 will be offered in 3 trim levels in the country namely S, SE and HSE. The engine of the SUV has been transversely mounted for better crash protection, extra space, front end styling and a shorter bonnet for more cabin space. Land Rover’s unique Terrain Response® system is standard on the vehicle. The Freelander 2 possesses a remarkably strong monocoque body and inner safety cell, with front and rear crumple zones, which attract energy on impact. Having also received a 5 star rating in the rigorous Euro NCAP tests for Adult Occupant Protection – a first in its class, the Freelander appears to be the vehicle Indian car lovers have been waiting for. The Dynamic Technology Systems, Airbags, and Command Driving Position provide the customers with an all-terrain, all weather package of the Freelander 2. The Freelander 2 has a price starting from Rs. 33.79 lakhs, Ex-Showroom Mumbai. The car is been launched in India at the right season, the festival season. And it is expected that this will prove to be a right decision by the carmaker. Labels: Discovery-4, Freelander-2, Land-Rover, Turbodiesel-Engine
 Audi has presented its E-TRON concept car at the ongoing Frankfurt Motor Show. The E-TRON is a performance sports car with electric drive system that runs on four motors. There are two motors which are located at the front and rear axles that drive the wheels making the concept car a true Quattro. The E-TRON can produce 313 bhp and 4,500 Nm torque. Moreover, the two-seater E-TRON can sprint from 0 to 100 km in just 4.8 seconds. The lithium-ion battery in the car provides a truly useable energy content of 42.4 kilowatt hours to enable a range of approximately 248 kilometers. The design of the Audi E-TRON concept car defines its place at the major leagues of sports cars, while the package takes into account the specific realities of an electric vehicle. The battery is directly behind the passenger cabin for an optimal center of gravity and axle load distribution. Car with electric drive systems took to the roads around 1900, yet till date no car manufacturer has a car powered exclusively by batteries in its lineup even though electric driving potentially offers numerous advantages. Electric cars reduce the dependence of transportation and the economy on the raw material petroleum. They produce no direct exhaust emissions and thus ease the burden on the environment. However, there is still a lot of work to do before electric cars are ready for mass production. Labels: Audi, Audi-E-TRON, Audi-E-TRON-Concept-Car, Concept-Car, Electric-Car, Frankfurt-Motor-Show
The one reason why not many CNG cars are available in the Indian car market is that there aren’t many fuel stations in the country where CNG is available. Customer-friendly car makers of the country who generally think about the likes and comforts of their customers will abandon the thought of making CNG variants optional to the customers as they don’t want their customers to wander around for filling their fuel or even get stuck without enough fuel. The car customers of the country favours the launch of cars fitted with CNG, as it is more durable and comes with a guarantee from the company, rather than the ones that is fitted outside, which will not have any guarantee from the car maker. Toyota is launching a new variant of its successful model Corolla Altis, a CNG variant. The new model is expected to hit the Indian roads at the right time, in the next month, during the festival season. The Altis Corolla CNG will have tank capacity of 14kg and Sequential Injection system, along with its own ECU, which gives the car supreme economy by not sacrificing on performance. With only a single competent in the segment, Chevrolet Optra CNG, the Toyota Corolla Altis will have a smooth sale in the Indian car market. Corolla Altis is the second model from Toyota, after Innova, which comes in a CNG version. It feels like Toyota knows the way out from the situation in the country where there is a lack of CNG stations, and it is simply more and more CNG versions of cars, which will force the launch of more CNG station due to the increase in demand. Labels: CNG-cars-India, CNG-Version, Toyota, Toyota-Corolla-Altis, Toyota-Innova
It seems like all the car makers are keeping themselves busy with launches these days. Some of them are bringing in their latest creation to the Indian market, while most of the car makers in India are rolling out facelifted versions and limited editions. The obvious reason is the festive season that has kicked off with the Eid and the Navratras are on with Diwali and Dusshera just around the corner and Christmas is a while away! So, Maruti Suzuki began the celebration by coming out with a limited edition of its butter and butter model by adding spice to it, the Alto Xcite. The new Alto Xcite is really peppy. The car drapes in body coloured bumpers and door handles. Moreover, the car gets a tattoo too; we mean to say the Alto Xcite flaunts stylish graphics on its body. The ‘Xcite’ sticker is tagged on the rear and side door to give a refreshed look. This new small car decks half wheel cover in silver that gives it a neat and smart look. This ‘mileage ka muncher’ Alto limited edition sports dual-tone seat covers and fabric inserts on the door panel. The Alto Xcite boasts of numerous features that include front power windows, internally adjustable ORVM, rear demister, new gear knob, chrome plated grill and rear qtr trim. All these spruce up the Alto Xcite making it an attractive purchase. Central locking system makes into the new Alto Xcite limited edition. There is a rear parcel tray to secure your things too, for the first time in an Alto. The limited edition of Maruti Suzuki’s best selling Alto also features front power windows, manual central locking and remote boot opener. The new Maruti Alto Xcite Limited Edition is priced at Rs 2.75 Lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). The Xcite will be Rs. 13, 500 more than the regular Alto. Besides, the Alto Xcite Limited Edition will be available in the car market till November end. Labels: Alto-Limited-Edition, Alto-Xcite, Alto-Xcite-Limited-Edition, Limited-Edition-car, Maruti-Alto-Xcite, Maruti-Suzuki, Maruti-Suzuki-Alto, Xcite
 It was already expected of Reva and now proving the speculations right, the Indian electric car company is making a clear entry into the American car industry. It was only last week that the Reva had unveiled its two new electric car models, NXR and NXG, in the Frankfurt Motor Show. These new cars are believed to have engrossed much of praise and admiration. There are now reports about how the company is now planning to build a really huge auto plant in upstate New York. This multimillion-dollar plan of Reva is now going through the process of getting approved. And the company is curiously waiting for the moment with fingers crossed. The first and the only car manufacturer of electric cars in India, Reva has already exported its battery run car, Reva, and has made a very appreciative global presence. But the two new models NXR, the four-seat hatchback, and the NXG, the two-seater sports car will be, for sure, contemporary models from the auto maker and will surely help the company do more profitable business. There are, more than certainties, speculations about the financial source and other matters such as the time when the plant will start working and if the company is half way through deciding for a plant in the country why is it that there have not started hiring people. It was expected that in India the company would launch both its new models, NXR and NXG, by 2011 but it is still not known when it will mark its entry in the global market. The deal the company has been waiting for includes state and federal incentives. The company may not completely dependent on the $40 million in federal Department of Energy loan guarantee funding. And with more and more Indian companies starting their plants at different parts of the world, like Tata Motors acquiring loan for its electric car plant from the British government, it is a moment of pride and joy. Labels: Electric-Cars, Maini-REVAi, REVA, Reva-NXG, Reva-NXR, Revai-cars, Tata-Motors
Monday, 21 September 2009
 German car behemoth Volkswagen has presented an update on its present and future launches at the 63rd International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt. The car company has showcased a range of nine cars at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Volkswagen will be introducing an eco-friendly car in the year 2013. This green car is named E-UP! and this will be an exciting city car with a electric motor. The E-UP will give a zero emission as well. The L1 concept car from Volkswagen is a two-seater with TDI hybrid that consumes only 1.49 litre of diesel to run 100 kilometres and emits only 39 grams of CO2 per kilometre. This car too will be hitting the roads in 2013. The Volkswagen L1 is so far the most fuel economic car of the world. A three-door version of the Polo, which is much awaited in India, will now come in a new base version that will cost only € 12,150 in Germany. This three-door Polo is a smaller version of the five-door bestselling Polo model. The three-door Polo will be available with six engine choices and three equipment levels including Trendline, Comfortline and Highline. Moreover, an automatic 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox (DSG) will be available for the first time in the Polo lineup with this car. The BlueMotion version of the Polo also comes in three-door. This car is low on fuel consumption as well and uses just 3.3 litre of diesel to travel 100 km. The car will be powered by a 73 bhp diesel engine. In the same way, the Volkswagen Golf can run 100 kilometres on 3.8 litres of fuel. The Golf R, an edition of the VW Golf, will carry the same 266bhp 2.0-litre turbo engine found in the Audi S3. It's the fastest Golf ever that can propel the four-wheel-drive to 100 km in 5.5 seconds. The R stands out from the Golf crowd with a black version of the small car’s horizontal grille, as well as black side mirrors and a black rear diffuser housing dual exhaust pipes that are a signature of R-badged Golfs. The Volkswagen Scirocco R is a sporty compact coupe with good fuel economy. The coupe will be driven by a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with direct fuel injection. The Passat CC of the R-Line package will come with modification in the inside and on the outer body. The new Passat CC will show a fuel efficiency of 4.4 litre of fuel per 100 km. A customised version of the Volkswagen Exclusive (Golf Estate) has been displayed along with the Volkswagen Bulli that comes with a good mileage tag. It seems Volkswagen has been busy trying to set records when it comes to CO2 emissions and fuel-efficient technologies. Labels: BlueMotion, E-UP, Frankfurt-Motor-Show, Fuel-Efficency, IAA, International-Motor-Show, Scirocco-R, Volkswagen, Volkswagen-Bulli, Volkswagen-Golf, Volkswagen-Polo, VW
Ford Motor Company will be unveiling its much-awaited ‘ small car’ in this week. This will happen as soon as in two-three days. The US car major had launched the Ford Fiesta sedan in 2005. Since then, Ford India has not had a new product launch in India, while the company has continued to upgrade its existing product line in the country. Ford India will launch its small car, code named B517 in March 2010. This car will be launched in an attempt to secure its presence in the country. The small car, which is expected to compete with the Hyundai i20 and the Suzuki Swift, was also showcased to its dealers in Chennai recently. This small car will be a four-door hatchback that will be powered by an indigenous diesel and petrol engine. The engine of the small car will be manufactured at its Chennai plant. Ford India has invested around $500 million (Rs 2,400 crore) to double the current capacity by one lakh cars and 2.5 lakh engines. Recently, the company has seen an increase in primary sales (sales from company to dealers), with the Endeavour and the Ikon maintaining their leadership positions in the premium SUV segment and mid-size segment, respectively. Ford India’s existing line-up includes the Ikon, the Fiesta, the Fusion and the hulky Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), Endeavour. The US car major is keen to accelerate focus on emerging markets such as China and India with fuel-efficient products. Globally, consumers are seen to be moving towards fuel-efficient small cars and Ford India is currently offers cars in mid-size segments and SUV segments. Labels: Ford-India, Ford-Motor-Company, Small-Car
It seems like nothing in the world is capable of stopping the Tata Motors from its objectives and ambitions and if you have such an opinion this piece of information that you will be reading on, will give you a reason to rejoice thinking you are in the right lane of thoughts. Tata Motors, one among the major automakers of India has been successful in attaining a loan of amount £10-million from the British Government.And the most amusing part is that it is the first time the British government is lending a loan under the British government's £2.3-billion automotive assistance programme. Now, the loan is for the company’s new electric car project in UK. Thinking about all possible reasons, which would have made the British government feel comfortable, and secured too, to lend Tata Motors a loan, the first few things came into mind is its plans to launch Nano in the European and American car market and its buy out of Land Rover and Jaguar.These initiatives have surely called for global attention and now have helped the company to create such an achievement. The company will manufacture electric cars in the UK and apart from the £10-million loan from the UK government, the company is also investing an amount of £25 million. It is said that the company is thinking about setting up a factory in the UK. It seems Tata has foreseen this helping hand and it has developed a four-seater electric car in partnership with Norwegian group 20Miljo Grenland/Innovation and with is huge financial from the British government, the company will start the production of this car later this year in Norway. This will surely be a give and take process as both the parties, Tata and the British car industry, will gain from it. With the help of the British government itself, Tata will soon fully overpower the fast growing green car industry. Labels: Car-Loans, Electric-Car, Fiat and Tata, Jaguar, Land-Rover, Nano, Tata-Motors-Cars
 Ghost will haunt you day and night as it has already been launched! There is nothing supernatural about it; it is about the Rolls Royce Ghost that we are speaking about here as the it has been officially launched at the ongoing Frankfurt Motor Show. The Ghost is a production model from Rolls Royce, which has a much informal presence than the Rolls Royce Phantom. It is really a triumphant task to more explain about the Rolls Royce Ghost which is designed to perfection and will be subject to awe and inspiration with its prevailing, focused proportions. And it seems to surely make the whole Rolls Royce folks really proud of their creation. The Ghost will be available in a latest, 6.6-litre twin-turbo V12 that produces 563 horsepower and 780Nm of torque and has an eight-speed shift-by-wire automatic transmission from ZF. And it will pick up the pace from zero to 100km/h in just 4.7 seconds and strike an electronically governed top speed of 248 kilometre in an hour. The Rolls Royce Ghost rides on double-wishbone (front) and multi-link (rear) suspension and it works with an intellectual air-suspension system and electronic variable damping. The interior of the Ghost is a perfect blend of the premium features and materials. It has the finest and highly expensive wood, leather, and other materials used for style and comfort. The interior is also fitted with the latest, entertainment and navigation electronics that is available in the car market, making this proud machine a truly supreme car. India is now among the most promising luxury car market, and the Indian car buyers need not feel miserable, though in limited numbers, the Ghost will also be coming to the Indian car market in 2010. As the company has not mentioned about how much will it be priced in the India, there are plenty of speculations about its price. Labels: Indian-car-market, Rolls-Royce, Rolls-Royce-Ghost, Rolls-Royce-Phantom
Friday, 18 September 2009
 What would be rejoicing you the most? Reading about a car, liking it and then getting to know that it will not be launched in your car market or getting to know that it will be available in the native car market, of course it is the latter which interests you the most right? But this is not the governing factor for you to read about a new car. And now you have to read on and know more about the new Fiat Grande Punto Evo, keeping your fingers crossed and expecting it be launched in India, as you will surely love this one. The new Fiat Grande Punto Evo, unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2009, has minor changes. On the exterior, it has a new front and rear bumpers, and the larger trunk space, improved seats and stylish dashboard in the interiors, the Punto Evo will be looking better this time. True to its name, the ‘Evo’ with its technology design and other features is readied to satisfy those customers, who will not settle even for the best. The 1.3 second generation Multijet diesel and a 1.4 petrol engine with the revolutionary MultiAir technology are just two of the many Euro 5 engines available for the model. The Punto Evo with its Blue&Me-TomTom feature combines navigation, telephone and other functions into a colour touch screen. With the second generation Multijet engine, the car will provide, by consuming less fuel, ten percent more power, fifteen percent more torque. The Punto, similar to that of Fiat Bravo and Fiat 500, is installed on a start-stop system. With superior Italian designing and most modern safety features the Fiat Grande Punto Evo is a new era, evolutionary car. Labels: Fiat, Fiat-500, Fiat-Grande-Punto, Fiat-Grande-Punto-Evo
 The Swedish luxury auto manufacturer Volvo has revealed its C30 BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The car company is presently working on launching its first plug-in hybrid car by 2012. As a result, Volvo is evaluating the commercial and technological viability of the all-electric C30 BEV, which is fitted with a lithium-ion battery that can be fully charged in eight hours. The Volvo C30 BEV has a range of 150 km. The automotive major has built a few prototype units of the C30 BEV this year, which it has been testing extensively. In addition to focusing on performance and safety, research has also been carried out on the integration of the electric propulsion system with the rest of the car. The C30 car is the first model of Volvo that runs on electric power. The Volvo C30 BEV is excellent for driving in the city traffic and its relatively low weight makes it particularly suitable for this driving condition. As electric cars are primarily expected to be used in and around cities and for daily commuting, Volvo has paid special attention to the weight of the car and its performance in congested city conditions. Volvo perceives that car buyers must feel that the car should be attractive both to drive and own. In order to ensure this, Volvo ensures that its electric car is comfortable and safe and offer similar levels of performance as cars that run on other power sources. The C30 BEV project will help Volvo develop more electric cars in future. The Volvo C30 BEV is limited to a top speed of about 130km/h and it can accelerate from zero to 100km in less than 11 seconds. Labels: Frankfurt-Motor-Show, Volvo, Volvo-C30-BEV
India’s only Electric car maker REVA Electric Car Company has unveiled the two NXR and NXG at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It is the first time REVA has taken part in this prestigious Auto Show. The electric car maker has revealed that the NXR (NeXt Reva) will go on sale in Europe in 2010. REVA has also announced the price of the NXR, at less than € 9,995 for the City model and the lithium-ion NXR Intercity version will be around € 14,995. But the price of the car will vary across Europe depending on taxes and subsidies. Customers will be offered the option of purchasing the car and batteries separately, or at an all-inclusive price. Powered by a lithium-ion battery, the REVA NXR is a three-door, four-seater hatchback family car that is suitable for urban driving. The car can travel at the top speed of 104 km/h, with a range of 160 km per charge. If using the 90 minute fast charge (normal charging is eight hours), the REVA NXR offers an effective range of 320 km a day. A fast charge for 15 minutes will provide a 40 km range. The NXR has keyless entry and operation, dual charge ports, intelligent digital display and a range of telematics. These include SMS alerts and commands such as distance-to-empty and time-to-full charge, remote cabin heat/cool, a monthly eco-drive check by email, service and insurance alerts, remote diagnostics and healing and REVive remote emergency charge. REVive is an exclusive technology of REVAthat acts like an invisible reserve fuel tank and addresses ‘range anxiety’. If a customer runs out of charge, they can telephone or SMS REVA’s customer support centre. The advanced telematics feature will assess the car’s batteries remotely and activate a reserve amount of energy while protecting the battery life. Within minutes, a few extra kilometres of range are made available via the telematics and the driver can continue home or to a place where the NXR can be charged. The REVA NXG (NeXt Generation) will have a range of 200 km per charge and a top speed of 130 km/h. It features the same telematics as the REVA NXR, including REVive and using the fast charge, it has an effective range of 400 kilometres a day. The REVA NXG will grace roads in 2011. The car will come with a price tag of € 23,000 excluding batteries plus a monthly mobility fee. REVA Electric Car Company is committed to the creation of ultra low carbon cars and has only made Electric Vehicles (EVs). The REVA NXR and REVA NXG are the absolute ‘Green Cars’ that have lowest dust-to-dirt carbon footprints than any car in mass production. The REVA NXR has been designed to use approximately 80% fewer parts than a conventional or hybrid car and will be assembled in REVA’s new ultra low-carbon assembly plant in Bangalore powered by solar energy and using natural light and ventilation and rainwater harvesting. Preparations have begun to create a ‘second life’ for the lithium batteries to optimise energy efficiency and reduce the cost to consumers via the creation of guaranteed residual values. From 2010, REVA will publish the carbon emissions for the assembly and lifetime operation of both these new cars and by this environmental disclosure, customers can make an informed buying decision. REVA will launch its Bangalore output with capacity of 300,000 units per year. Today, REVA is selling, or being test marketed, in 24 countries worldwide and has the largest deployed fleet of electric cars on the market with over 3,000 EVs on the road and more than 70 million kilometres of user experience. Labels: Electric-Car-Company, Electric-Vehicles, Frankfurt-Motor-Show, REVA, Reva-NXG, Reva-NXR
The buzz at the moment, no matter whether it is the automobile sector or other industrial sectors, is going green or being eco friendly. And the haunting thoughts of a tomorrow, with so much pollution around are the reason why companies around the world are thinking ways to eradicate pollution, at least to some extent. Enoc International Sales Ltd., a subsidiary of Emirates National Oil Company (Enoc) in United Arab Emirates (UAE) has introduced two new engine oils targeting a pollution-free tomorrow. The new engine oils, The Protect Green 5W 40 and Vulcan Green 10W 40 engine oils guarantees higher fuel efficiency and less pollution, and it seems to be the future of engine oils. The engine oil could be used for both petrol and diesel engine vehicles and it is the first of its kind initiative from a UAE oil company. This engine oil will surely alter the industry standards and helps in pollution free tomorrow. Talking about the engine oils in detail, both of them will have low content of sulphated ash and phosphorous. It takes care of the metals present in exhaust gas treatment. Even though these engine oils can be used in both petrol and diesel engine vehicles, it will be best suited for vehicles that are designed for exhaust gas emission controls and low sulfur fuels. There have already been high praises coming up for the quality of the engine oil. According to the American Petroleum Institute (API) and major European and American original engine manufacturers’ specifications, the oils have long drain capability. Both the engines oils are complying to the UAE emission control standards, but the Indian cars market may not have them very soon, they will have to wait a little longer to get lubricated with this Green engine oils. But whatever may, this is a really futuristic invention. Labels: Eco-Friendly, Eco-Friendly-Engine-Oils, Indian-car-market
Thursday, 17 September 2009
The Indian car market is now in a glorious period. There is also a fast emerging luxury car market but the most expanding segment is that of the small car. Many companies, realizing the flowering love for the small cars in the country are coming up with new models or introducing new variants for the existing models, and so there is never a scarcity in this segment. The next in the queue is Ford with its small car, codenamed B517. The company has been long working on the project and this seems to be the right time to make it public. The company is expected to showcase its small car in Indian this month. But the car will not hit the roads this year, it will be at least March next year for the car to get launched. After B517 gets launched in India it will also be exported globally including the African and Asia-Pacific countries. The B517 will be available in both petrol and diesel variants. It was said that the diesel version of the car will have a 1.5-litre engine, but now it is expected to be launched powered by a 1.4-litre Duratorq engine, similar to the one used in Ford Ikon and Ford Fiesta. The other option will be a 1.2-litre petrol engine. Chiefly designed for the Indian market, the car once launched will pose a good completion to models like the Volkswagen Polo, and new Chevy Spark. The pricing of the B517 is not yet revealed. This small car is expected to enter the Indian car market with really big promises. Labels: Ford, Ford-Fiesta, Ford-Ikon, Small-Car
The third-largest Japanese car major Nissan Motors have unveiled the facelifted Teana and X-Trail in India.  Nissan has much hope for its luxury sedan with a makeover in India. The new Teana carries a sweeping arch along the bodyline that reflects it’s graceful and distinguished image. The new Teana has bigger front grilles that impart a 3-D image. A sharp line climbs the fender from the wraparound headlamps to grab attention. The stylish integrated fog lamps on the bumpers add élan to the sedan. The exterior mirror contours are crafted to reduce wind noise. The Teana stands tall on 17-inch alloy wheels. The new Nissan Teana sports retractable stylish glass sunroof with UV protection, which lets the rear seat passengers enjoy the sun, filling the cabin with an open air ambience. The sophisticated interior comes in convincing wood finish and simply laid-out, easy-to-use controls. The cabin gives a suite-like experience with supple leather seats, sofa-like armrests, wood grain trim and pampering ottoman-style leg-rest to support the lower legs. The rear seats can rival any high-grade sofas with massive shoulder and back support and the space is more than adequate. There are rear air-con vents and the cabin has an airy feel. There is an LED indirect illumination on the center console that shines softly to create a more welcoming interior ambience. The soft-touch buttons and the LED indirect Illumination on front passenger and rear door grips take driving luxury to the next level. The Nissan VQ engine series has made into World’s 10 Best Engines list for 15 years in a row. The new Teana is endowed with this reputed high performance engine. The 2.5-litre V6 DOHC engine is bigger than the old Teana's 2.3-litre version. The engine can churn out a power of 180bhp. The new 2.5L, V6 engine provides quick response, smooth acceleration and abundance of low and mid range torque and high-end power. Moreover, the enhanced performance of the intake/exhaust system and a six-point engine mounting help to minimize noise. The second generation model of the Teana comes in two variants in Indian market. The 2.5XL variant is priced at Rs. 21,03,000 and the 2.5XV comes with a price tag of Rs. 25,40,000 (Ex showroom, New Delhi) The new Nissan X-trail SUV flaunts a tough, masculine, individualistic stance. The Open Window graphic with lower waistline ensures good visibility and the High Ground Clearance makes the SUV secure from all road conditions.  The Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) comes with a roof-rail with lamp that accentuates the body design of the X-Trail. The SUV sports a large sunroof that allows fresh air and bright light to come in. Coming to the interior, the new X-Trail is highly luxurious. The cabin comes in high quality beige interior finish with soft touch dashboard in chrome/silver that conveys a high quality finish. The interior is quite practical with a lot of cubby holes and cup holders and a bigger boot space with a removable drawer for added convenience. The renovated X-Trail is fitted with the new M9R Diesel Engine under its hood. The 2L 4-cylinder in-line, turbocharged engine can tap 150 bhp. The engine ensures a smooth drive without vibration or strain like a petrol engine. The X-Trail can sprint 100 km in quick 10.88 seconds. Even though the X-Trail has been designed mostly for road use the intelligent four-wheel-drive system gives the X-Trail off-road capability too. The new X-tail comes in three editions: LT, SLX and SLX. The LT and SLX come with a 6-speed manual transmission gearbox and the SLX AT is equipped with a 6-speed automatic gearbox. The facelifted X-Trail is priced at Rs 20.81 Lakh for the LT, Rs 23.18 Lakh for the SLX variant and Rs 25.08 Lakh for the SLX AT (Ex-showroom, New Delhi). With a combination of a punchy and refined engine, practicality and good off-road ability, the new Nissan X-Trail is a very good buy. Labels: Luxury-Sedan, New-Car-Launch, Nissan, Nissan-India, Nissan-Motors, Nissan-Teana, Nissan-X-Trail, SUV
What would have been that encouraging factor for Hyundai from which the idea of a low-cost car stemmed, without further thoughts; it could be the Tata’s dream child, Nano. This small wonder has been in the news for some time now, and what would stop Hyundai from making one such car so that they will get flaunted and praised like never before. Or is Hyundai really concerned about the interest of the Indian crowd who would be greatly pleased to have such economical cars. Could be both, but India is an emerging market and this new car, for sure, will not be a reason to regret for the company later in the future. And again, the country’s common interest on small cars will be of great benefit for the company. The company had voiced its ideas of bringing out a small car in the beginning of this year, which they are planning to launch in India and other similar emerging markets. And now more details of the car are revealed. It will be an 800cc new model car which will be manufactured at the company plant in Chennai. And the most attractive part, the price, it will be priced at Rs 1.77 lakh. It is not as cheap as a Tata Nano, as the base model of Nano costs only Rs 1.25 lakh, well, it seems like no one can really compete with Nano in terms of the pricing. But there are still more hurdles to cross before we could say whether this small car from Hyundai is a competent to Nano and the Maruti models such as the Maruti 800 and Maruti Alto. It is not sure when this model will hit the Indian car markets, but let us expect that the launch of this low-cost car will happen soon. Labels: Hyundai, Low-Cost-Car, Tata-Motors, Tata-Nano
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
 The cars that will be showcased in the Frankfurt Motor Show will be the best in of our times as the companies are competing with each other for bringing out the best. And the show will not only be an exhibition of wonderful machines, it will also display the toil of the car makers round the word for the past years and a peep into the future of cars. For the Indian car market, it will not have the privilege of driving all the cars available in the motor show, but yes there will be cars from the Frankfurt Motor Show that will be later launched in the Indian car market. The two models from the Indian electric car maker Maini Reva is a good example for this. Reva will be showcasing its two electric cars, NXR, a four-seater two door hatchback, and NXG, a sporty two seater. Both the cars will run on lithium-ion batteries and these eco-friendly cars from the only electric car maker of the country will also be available to the Indian customers within a period of two years. The production of NXR will begin by 2010 and for the NXG by 2011. Another car that will be showcased in the Frankfurt Motor Show and will also mark its entry into the Indian car market is the baby Phantom from Rolls Royce, Ghost. This small ultra luxury sedan is engineered by Helmut Reidl has very alluring and dominant features. The Ghost that will be powered by a 570PS 6.6-litre turbocharged V12 engine is expected to hit the Indian car market by the end of 2009 or by early 2010. The car will be price between 1.2 and 1.3 crore. Within the next few years, the Indian car market will be flooded with luxury and eco-friendly cars and the models mentioned will surely make a huge hit. Labels: REVA, Reva-NXG, Reva-NXR, Rolls-Royce, Rolls-Royce-Ghost
 Once again we bring you more information on the ongoing Frankfurt Motor Show. If you think, we are going overboard with Frankfurt Motor Show, just remember it is the most happening thing in the automotive world now at this moment. All car enthusiasts are talking about the Frankfurt Motor Show and will be talking about it only for another fortnight. Lots of excitement revolves around this International Auto Show. The most important thing about this year’s Auto Show is that most of the car makers are showcasing their latest eco-friendly car creations. As we told you earlier, the theme of the Frankfurt Motor Show is ‘Blue’ and ‘Green’ and hence Renault is exhibiting its products in ‘Blue’. The French car company is unveiling four electric car concepts at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The four EVs unveiled are the Twizy, the Zoe, the Fluence and the Kangoo Zero Emission (Z.E.) concepts. The Twizy Z.E. is a two-seater equipped with a 20 bhp engine which can run at a top speed of 75km/h. The Zoe Z.E., Fluence Z.E. and Kangoo Z.E. are fitted with a 94 bhp electric motor and have a range of 160km. All these four electric cars will have multiple options for recharging, including standard recharge, quick recharge and quick battery swap. Renault will start selling its affordable production electric vehicles in 2011, with the Renault-Nissan Alliance targeting number one status in mass-market zero-emission vehicle sales. Labels: Frankfurt-Motor-Show, Renault, Renault-Nissan-Alliance, Zero-Emission
 German luxury car maker Audi will be unveiling two new cars at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The suave 2010 Audi S5 Sportback will have a 3.0-litre supercharged V6 engine under its bonnet. The supercharged engine will churn out 333 bhp of power and feature seven-speed S-tronic gearbox, Quattro all-wheel-drive and sport differential as optional feature. The 333 bhp V6 pushes the S5 Sportback from static to 100km in just 5.4 seconds and can hit an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h. The Audi S5 supercharged V6 engine can take 9.7 liters of petrol to travel 100 kilometres. The car will run on 18-inch alloy wheels and 19- and 20-inch wheels are also available as optional. The “5-door coupe” (We don’t understand how a ‘coupe’ can possibly have more than two doors?!?) comes with LED daytime running lights and rear lights, electrically adjustable sports seats upholstered in Silk Nappa leather, leather multifunction steering wheel with aluminium-finish shift paddles and a choice of carbon, wood or stainless steel mesh trim. The Audi A5 Sportback is set to be launched in Europe in the first quarter of 2010. The price of the coupe starts at Rs 41 Lakh (€57,900). The enchanting Audi R8 Spyder is all decked up to make its first public appearance at the 63rd IAA Cars in Frankfurt, Germany. The 2-door convertible will be powered by a 5.2-litre V10 FSI engine that can deliver a robust power of 525 bhp. The engine is mated to Quattro all-wheel-drive. The gorgeous R8 Spyder is the best in open-top motoring from Europe. Audi makes uses of carbon fibre to build the body parts and the electro-hydraulic foldaway top is made of leak-proof cloth to reduce weight without having to compromise on structural integrity and stiffness. The Audi R8 Spyder can sprint from inertia to 100 km in only 4.1 seconds and from zero to 200 km in 12.7 seconds as well as can go on to a top speed of 313km/h. The R8 Spyder is adorned with 19-inch wheels, full-LED headlamps, a rear spoiler that deploys automatically at high speeds, electrically adjustable seats, Bang & Olufsen audio system, climate control system and Audi’s MMI controls with navigation system. The base version of the Audi R8 Spyder comes with a price tag of Rs 1.11 Crore (€156,400). This breathtaking car will be launched in Europe early 2010. We expect Audi to roll out some of the units of the S5 Sportback and the R8 Spyder in India by the end of next year. Labels: Audi, Audi-R8, Audi-R8-Spyder, Audi-S5, Frankfurt-Motor-Show, Luxury-Cars, Quattro
 The ongoing Frankfurt Motor Show will showcase the different ventures the car manufacturers have been working over the past years. The German automaker BMW, together with the other auto majors such as Mercedes-Benz, Suzuki, Hyundai, will showcase its best efforts in the show. The BMW Active Hybrid X6 and Active Hybrid 7, BMW X1, and the BMW 5 Series GT that has been empowered to woo the audience will debut in the Frankfurt Motor Show. As the name suggests, the BMW Active Hybrid X6 and Active Hybrid 7 will be eco-friendly models. The elegantly designed hybrid cars are an epitome of their respective series. Looks apart, it is the heart of these cars that matter the most and that’s why both the cars will be powered by 4.4-litre twin turbo V8 motor. While the X6 will feature two electric motors and a 7-speed CVT transmission the 7 has a single electric motor and an 8-speed automatic transmission. The most bizarre BMW that has been manufactured in the near past and one can name the BMW 5 Series GT without a second thought an MPV, an executive car or even an estate car, because it fits into all these categories. The car is a perfect combination of the X6, 7, and the 5 series. And the car will be available in three options namely 530d, 5351, and 550i. Another model from BMW, BMW X1, the mini x, will also be showcased at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The X1 built based on the 3 Series foundation will be available in two options such as the one with a rear wheel drive, known as sDrive, and an all wheel drive, xDrive. It will take another one or two years before most of the models be available to common man, but it is a true pleasure to see these cars showcased as they are a glimpse to the future of the auto industry. Labels: BMW-5-Series, BMW-Cars, BMW-X6, Frankfurt-Motor-Show
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
 The popular Honda City now comes with new variants. Honda City 1.5V will come loaded with accessories and City 1.5S, will flaunt a new beige interior. Honda Siel Cars India has revealed that the new variants of Honda City are launched as a part of the Great Honda Fest promotion. The City 1.5V with option for manual and automatic transmissions will now sport stylish 5-spoke alloy wheels and brighter front fog lamps for style and better visibility. On the outside, the City 1.5L will also get cool chrome door handles, sporty exhaust finish and chic front and rear mud gears. Honda City 1.5S in the meanwhile, comes with a complete new interior in the fashionable beige colour. The fabric seats are also in beige and the fan knob is in alluring silver. The inner door handles, door lining garnish and power windows panel are painted to match with the interior. The sedan also has dual front tweeters and a driver seat back pocket for added convenience. The new Honda City will now be available in three variants: SMT, VMT and VAT. Besides, all these variants will be available in two versions: Elegance and Inspire. Honda City will have an additional colour option, Deep Sapphire Blue, for a limited period during the festive season along with the exciting existing colors to select from the paint shop. The Honda City can boast of the 1.5L, 4-cylinder new generation i-VTEC engine under its bonnet. The engine can deliver a power output of 115 bhp. The engine is E10 compliant and has Euro IV emission levels. The new City is packed with various active and passive safety features standard such as Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with Brake Assist (BA), Dual SRS airbags, pre-tensioner seat belts and G-Force Control Technology (G-CON) body with a high integrity survival zone. The front body structure of the Honda City ensures advanced pedestrian safety features. The New Honda City is available in the price bracket of Rs 8.37-Rs.10.24Lakh. Labels: Honda-City, Honda-Siel-Cars-India, New-Car-Launch, New-Honda-City
 The Nissan Leaf, the electric car, will be launched in the Indian market only after it has been launched in many other countries. It would be first launched in Japan and at the same time it will be launched in the United States and Europe. The Nissan Leaf will surely gain good business from the growing interest for electric or more eco-friendly cars in the American car market and it will not be a different case for Leaf in Europe also. And there is a possibility that China will also be in the list of countries where Leaf will mark its debut. The Nissan Leaf is been already unveiled at Nissan's headquarters Yokohama in Japan and it will be launched by the end of this year in Japan, US, Europe, and China, but the Indian car buyers need to wait longer to glance the Leaf. But will the Indian car buyers be really waiting for the Leaf that is expected to come after one or two years, in fact they will not be very keen on it as there will be more options available in the home country by then. The Indian made Reva cars might pose a good competition for the Leaf as there will be two new models from the brand, NXR and NXG, available in the Indian car market by 2011. Within two years time there might be lot more options such as the Bavina cars, a new Indian Electric car company and Tata, which is expected to launch the electric version of Indica in Norway and might launch same or a different model in India. Even though the pricing of the new electric cars are not announced, the Leaf will be priced minus the battery and this could be a great advantage for the car against other electric car models. And also the Indian car buyer’s fascination for foreign car models will work favourably for Nissan. But the question still lingers as to will the hatch be available in the Indian markets by 2012, as the earlier the more beneficial. The Indian car lovers who have not seen much of electric cars in two years will become one among the most demanding electric car customers. Labels: Nissan, Nissan-Leaf, REVA, Reva-NXR, Tata
During this festive season, many new cars will be launched or reintroduced with a makeover in the Indian car market. Festive season is the busiest time for the car makers as they try their level best to woo customers with new cars, attractive discounts and special offers. Coinciding with the festive season is the target of the car makers which they have to meet by year end. To compete with their fellow car manufacturers, the car makers come up with hefty price cuts and revised looks as they apprehend an up in sales during the festive season. This year, there has been a steady growth in sales of cars at 11 per cent with 4.38 Lakh cars sale in the April-July period. This led by a sharp 30 per cent jump in sales in July and carmakers point similar spike in August too. Car sale is anticipated to remain strong for a couple of months. There is a line-up of new car launches and reintroductions coming up in the next few months. We have the Maruti Suzuki O2 that is build on the Versa platform. The car company has already launched the Estilo with a new look and strapped it with the fuel-efficient K-Series engine. Mercedes-Benz will roll out in India the ninth generation of the E-Class after selling over 40,000 units of the car globally since its inception in March this year. In the way same, Porsche will bring in the Panamera in the upcoming months. Mercedes-Benz’s archrival BMW will unleash the convertible roadster Z4 to India next month and the iconic Beetle is all set to for the discovery of India. Chevrolet will lift the curtains for the Cruze in India and Honda will unveil the new variant of its most popular sedan, the City, with alloy wheels, fog lamps besides other high-end accessories. General Motors will also let the Chevrolet Tavera and the Aveo re-enter the Indian car bazaar with refreshing looks. Nissan Motors plans to debut its next generation Teana sedan and the XTrail SUV shortly. Tata Motors is also not lagging behind besides it’s loses with Jaguar Land Rover. The Indian car maker will launch the Indigo Vista with a new heart from its Italian partner Fiat. Labels: Maruti-Suzuki, Mercedes-Benz, Tata-Motors
What would you think is the possible time that the world car market will take before it wakes up from its slumber? If you think the answer is one year or two years or perhaps three or four years, well you may be right as you still would be guessing as there is no specific answer for this question. But it will take a considerable amount of time before it swings back to the good old prosperous days. Though no one really knows how much time will it take, foreseeing the future, we can take a wild guess and beat around the bush saying that the golden days of the past will soon be back. The car market that we are speaking about is the American car market which is trying hard to regulate itself with the global car market. And the American car market seems to not have a glorious time. It was the most thriving market in the world but before the “Motown meltdown” last year which turned the whole car industry upside down. American car market is now in a stage of rebuilding itselves from a very steep fall. The fall of the American car market was best utilized by the Indian and the Chinese car markets. Both the markets, especially the Chinese car market, have grown really big and they even have able to mark a strong base in the American car market, which is very evident in a recent study that shows the growing demand of Indian and Chinese cars in the American market. The Chinese car market, for the first time, is expected to be emerged as the number one car market of the world. And the growing Chinese car market is the reason why the world car market did not fall into a disastrous phase, but it will not be able to stand holds the global market for a long time. The only car market that will push the global car market back to its normal self is the American car market. And this will certainly take some time. The American auto majors, Ford and General Motors, does not expose a favourable condition and this could be a reason for further trouble in the American market, but whatever may the once majestic American car market will regain its past glory and together with it the global car market too. Labels: American-Car-Market, Ford, General-Motors, Indian-car-market
 Here is a riddle for you: Which car has a 1-liter diesel engine, seats two people longitudinally, weighs less than 500kg and achieves 100 km/l? If your answer is “An experimental aircraft?”, then you might have just hit the wrong button. The above mentioned stats belong to that of a Volkswagen L1 concept. This new L1 concept from Volkswagen will make its world debut in the Frankfurt Motor Show that begins today and would go up to 27th September 2009. The modest German car maker who gave the world iconic cars like the Beetle and the Golf redefined mobility for man. In this age, where fuel prices are reaching the sky, Volkswagen is working to present Mother Earth with an eco-friendly car. This concept car which is known as the L1, for obvious reasons, uses carbon-fibre extensively in a bid to keep the weight below 500 kilograms. The L1 concept car is capable of seating two people effortlessly and can go about 100 kilometres for every litre of oil. To obtain this superb fuel economy, the aerodynamic drag of the Volkswagen L1 has been reduced. This is possible because of the sleek body of the car which has a passenger-behind-driver body with the rear wheels covered by skirts that also improves air flow. Air intake ports for engine cooling and cabin ventilation also open only as required to further assist the car’s smooth shape. The car will be able to run at a top speed of 121km/h. Incredible! The design of the car will make the L1 narrow enough to cut across the narrow city roads with much ease. The L1 is likely to be 3800mm in length and has a canopy roof for passenger entry and exit. The car comes with a small cargo area of 50 litres to carry luggage. The Volkswagen L1 concept car will be powered by a 1L TDI diesel engine and a single electric motor in a full-hybrid configuration that can derive 36 bhp. The diesel engine is paired with a seven-speed DSG transmission and the engines will emit only 39 grams of CO2 per kilometre. To top it all off, Volkswagen is very keen on the L1 hitting roads as early as 2013. Why wait till 2013, Volkswagen? We say, bring the L1 on right away. The L1 was originally developed as a concept in 2002 as the world's first car capable of consuming just one liter of fuel for every 100 kilometers it traveled. But, due to various reasons, Volkswagen was unable to make a production case for the L1. Now VW has decided that it is the high time to bring an updated version of the L1 Concept to the world. Labels: Frankfurt-Motor-Show, Fuel-Economy, Volkawagen-L1, Volkswagen
Monday, 14 September 2009
 Mahindra and Mahindra, being an Indian company, is thinking all the outlets that will make the Indian auto industry a more vivid one. The company is now out with a new, and of course the first in the series, armoured vehicle for the defense sector of the country. Mahindra earlier had come out with its own Mahindra Axe, a desi version of the humungous GM Hummer for defense purpose. And now Mahindra again has made inroads to defense sector with its Mahindra Marksman Armoured Vehicle which will be a complete defense vehicle. The Marksman will not be available to the civilians and the reason is very clear, the features available in the Marksman are not for a common man’s use but exclusively for the use of the Defense. But need you worry, the big man will be also be readied for a layman’s use and will be launched later. The Marksman is based on the light bullet proof vehicle which has a very close resemblance with a German bullet proof vehicle during the 1940s. The Marksman has a very tough attire and with a 5 speed manual gearbox, 4 wheel drive, and power steering it is equipped with a 2.5-litr CRDE engine which is BS3 compliant. This six seater also has extinguisher, loud speakers on the front bumper so as to make announcements, and air conditioning, which is optional. The most important features that should be available in the defense vehicles, without disputes, are the safety features and the Marksman is loaded with the most essential. Some of the safety features of the Marksman being outward facing configured rear seat and wide bulletproof windows that will allow total operational orientation of the crew sitting at the rear, can withstand three direct hits of 7.62 X 51mm NATO Ball M80, 7.62 X 39mm Ball PS, and 5.56 X 45mm Ball M 193 at a distance of 10m at 90º angle attack at its sides, and camera and a TV screen for rear viewing both for the driver and co driver. There are also other counter terrorist and conventional features such as the mobile check points, convoy protection and escort, and armed reconnaissance counter terrorist counter terrorist and conventional. With all its features, Marksman will surely make an extremely enormous defense vehicle. Labels: Indian-Company, Mahindra, Mahindra-Marksman-Armoured-Vehicle
 The legendary Ford Capri is celebrating its 40th birthday. The car was incepted in 1969 as the European version of the American Ford Mustang. The Ford Capri sold nearly two million units in just eighteen years and achieved iconic status with its target audience. The Capri was one of the greatest muscle car of the Swinging Sixties. The Sixties was an era of irresponsible excess and flamboyance and the Ford Capri was aimed at a style-conscious generation. The Ford Capri was available in a range of engines for the economist and the enthusiast; in fact it was the choice of a wide range of customers. The car was initially called the Colt when it was introduced for the first time at the Brussels Motor Show in January 1969. Ford began selling the Capri outside Europe in April 1970, in the North America, South Africa and Australia. The Capri proved highly successful, with 400,000 cars sold until 1970. Ford revised the Capri in 1972 with new and more comfortable suspension, rectangular headlights, enlarged tail-lights and new seats. Ford Motor Company witnessed the highest sales of the Capri in 1973 with a total of 233,000 units. The global oil crisis of 1973 failed to hinder the sales of the Capri and in 1974 the Mk II was launched. The new version of the Capri had smoother design lines and simplified option packs. The Mk III was rolled out in 1978, with several special editions such as the Calypso and Laser. The last Capri, limited edition Capri 280 also known as the Brooklands Capri, was made on 19 December 1986 and 1,886,647 cars had rolled off the production lines from Ford. The Capri is remembered for the classic advertising slogan "The car you always promised yourself". Labels: Ford, Ford-Motor-Company, Ford-Mustang
General Motors Co. after months of hard times is now ready to win back those days when the company was among the best auto makers of the world, the company is not only thinking for its customers but is also thinking for a better tomorrow. The company is experimenting on the fuel cell cars. This was just another initiative from the company, but now, it doesn’t seems so and the reason that oblige us to think otherwise is the numbers, the company claims that it has passed the one million miles driven mark. The Chevrolet Equinox vehicles equipped with the fuel cell is really able to bring in some great attention, within the 25 month’s time, from the American crowd that have been very keen on driving this car. The interest for the fuel cell cars speaks volumes and supports many others views and reports about the growing interest of the American car customers for green cars. Even though it will take some time before eco-friendly cars with the latest features will be available in the American car market, the American car buyers seem to be not bothered about them, but they are all willing to go green as soon as possible, it seems that the economic slowdown is teaching them new lessons for a better and greener tomorrow. The fuel cells used in the GM cars are powered by electricity, which is created as a result of a reaction between oxygen and hydrogen. And the only thing that comes out of the emission pipe is water. The GM is not alone in the path to an eco-friendly technology for cars, Toyota, which has already produced hydrogen and electricity powered car, and Daimler AG, which is spending millions of dollars to start the production of fuel cell cars by 2011. The company, in India, is also in advance talks with Maini Reva, an electric car maker, for a joint venture. If successful, the company will manufacture Chevrolet Spark based on the Reva technology, which is again eco friendly. The current GM is born of the ashes from the once glorious General Motors and the company is double careful even making a single step and that could be the reason why the company has focused on the need of the time and the slogan for a pollution free tomorrow, green. Labels: Chevrolet, Chevrolet-Spark, eco-friendly-cars, GM, Toyota
Force India gained its second points rating at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza yesterday. Force India’s Adrian Sutil came in the forth place without Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS). Adrian Sutil finally picked up his first points for the team to strengthen its position in the Constructors' Championship. Sutil’s teammate Vitantonio Liuzzi retired with a driveshaft problem after 22 laps while running sixth. Rubens Barrichello won the Italian Grand Prix for the third time in his career and his team-mate Jenson Button followed him in a Brawn GP one-two. It was Barrichello’s eleventh career victory, his third in Monza and his second of the season after he won the European Grand Prix in Valencia, Spain. Moreover, this was the fourth one-two finish of the season for Brawn and kept both Brawn drivers well ahead in the Driver’s Championship. Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen drove past Adrian Sutil to finish at the third place while Lewis Hamilton spun out of third place on the final lap. The British driver started from pole position, but on a double pit stop strategy. His car was lighter on fuel and had to stop twice. Button leads the series with 80 points, Barrichello is second with 66 and Vettel is third with 54, while Webber is fourth with 51.5 points. At the halfway point of the race, after Lap 26, Barrichello led by 2.1 on Button, with Hamilton in third at 13.9 from Barrichello. Two laps later, Button made his pit stop in 9.1 seconds and returned to a clear track. Barrichello then made his pit stop after the next lap, and he stopped in 8.6, returning to the track ahead of Button. Hamilton, who had made his first pit stop on Lap 15, retook the lead when Barrichello made his pit stop. After Lap 32 Hamilton was only 15.8 seconds ahead of Barrichello and would need at least 30 seconds to make his pit stop and come out ahead. In the end, his pit stop on Lap 34 lasted 25.6 seconds and he came out behind the two Brawns. Monza is the fastest track on the Formula One schedule, with cars hitting 373 km/h down the long straights. Labels: Adrain-Sutil, F1-Cars, Formula-One-racing
Friday, 11 September 2009
 This is one among the many plans of Audi, a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen, which has been revealed recently. The company is planning to locally assemble a model in India. Though the company has not specified the model that will be assembled in the country, it has given us a hint that it will be an SUV. And working on this lead the most popular guess is Audi Q5. If the guess is right, then the Q5 will be the third model from the luxury carmaker that will be assembled in India, Audi A4 and A6, being the other two. If you are expecting a change in price then you are mistaken, the Q5 will be still priced at Rs 44.94 lakh for its 3.0 TDI Quattro and Rs 38.94 lakh for 2.0 TFSi Quattro. And there is fine explanation for this and that is the company has already launched the model at the CKD or local assembly price and the company does not differentiate between CBU and CKD. This shift in the location of assembly is a part of the company’s plan to expand its business in the country. Audi till this time of the year has marked a 62 per cent hike in its sales compared to the last year. And this has been a true encouragement for the company in the midst of economic slowdown and it is planning to bring in new models next. The company has also not revealed the expected date on which it will start assembling its model. With most of the information about the model and other details still shrouded in mystery, nothing stops the car lovers in the country from speculating. Labels: Audi, Audi-A4, Audi-Q5, Luxury-Car
 The Vision S500 is a Plug-in Hybrid concept car from Mercedes-Benz. This is another car that is going to be displayed at the 63rd Frankfurt Motor Show that will begin next week. The German car maker claims that its S400 Hybrid is currently the most fuel-efficient petrol-engined luxury saloon in the world and that it is a glimpse at the future shape of things to come from the car manufacturer. The Mercedes-Benz Vision S 500 will be the first 3-litre car in the full sized premium class. It can cover 30 km on electric power alone and consumes just 3.2 liters of petrol for every 100 kilometers. This is possible as the engineers at Mercedes-Benz have managed to combine a powerful direct injected 3.5-litre petrol V6, a 60 bhp electric hybrid module and a next generation lithium ion battery pack with more than 10 kWh of storage capacity, which can be recharged at charging stations. The Vision S500 is powerful enough to sprint from 0 to 100km/h in 5.5 seconds and hit a top speed of 250km/h. The Vision S500 is a Plug-in Hybrid is a luxurious and safe car belonging to the next generation S-Class. It offers superior driving performance while eco-friendly compared to car in the same segment. The car will go into production in near future; a tentative date for production has yet to be mentioned by the luxury car company. Mercedes-Benz India sells the S-Class in India and hence we expect the Vision S500 to be India bound. Labels: Concept-Cars, Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz-Vision-S-500, S-Class
The festival season is at the doorstep and the banks and financial institutions are competing against each other to offer a better car loan. The Government banks are offering loans at lower rates while the private lenders are dangling higher loan-to-value proposition. To illustrate, we have the Canara Bank, IDBI Bank and ICICI Bank which had revised their car loan interest rates in August. Canara Bank is offering a new scheme similar to State Bank of India’s (SBI) fixed-cum-floating offer in the home and auto segments. The SBI is offering 8 per cent for the first year, 10 per cent for the next two years, while Canara Bank is charging 8.5 per cent in the first year, 9 per cent in second year and 10 per cent between third and fifth year. Seeing this, both the ICICI Bank and IDBI Bank have cut their rates. While the rate of interest is the most attractive feature of a loan, other issues such as structure (hybrid or fixed-cum-floating), loan-to-value on offer, tenure or time period and dealers’ partners need to be considered as well. These are some of things to consider for a consumer before opting for a loan. A car loan seeker should approach the bank for clarity on these. Some financial institutions give relaxation towards initial down-payment and one can even avail a 0.5 per cent discount as well. A car loan seeker should look for the cheapest loan for different tenures. If the loan is for three years, SBI emerges as the best bet. The bank’s offer of a fixed rate for three years makes it an attractive proposition. The average yearly rate comes to 8.87 per cent - the lowest. In terms of Equated Monthly Installments (EMIs), a loan of Rs 3 lakh for three years would lead to an EMI of Rs 9,400 in the first year and Rs 9,592 in the second and third year. However, a car buyer has to fork out 15 per cent of the total cost as SBI lends only up to 85 per cent of the car’s value (on road price) for new as well as second-hand cars. For loans with tenure of three-seven years, Canara Bank has the best offer. For instance, a car loan of Rs 7 lakh for five years would mean that the average rate is 9.2 per cent a year. The EMI will work out like this - Rs 14,362 for the first year, Rs 14,638 for the second year and Rs 14,712 from third to fifth year. The only drawback is that Canara Bank does not provide four-wheeler loans for tenures above six years. The bank funds 90 per cent of a new car’s ‘on-road’ price. For used cars, loans are given only up to 75 per cent of the car’s value. In comparison, ICICI Bank’s EMI for the same loan would come to Rs 16,379 at an average rate of 14.25 per cent. While offers of public sector banks are quite impressive, the process could be time consuming. This is because they follow a centralised loan approval system that leads to delays in sanction and disbursal. Also, they are more stringent as far as the loan-to-value percentage goes. If the loan seeker is unable to shell out the required 85-90 per cent, approaching private banks through direct selling agents (DSAs) or dealers will help. In fact, some DSAs claim that they can get you a 100 per cent loan on select models. Like mutual fund distributors, both dealers and DSAs normally have partnerships with as many as four-five banks. This helps them get you a better loan-to-value deal or even rates, at times. Labels: Car-Loans, Financial-Institutions, Government-Banks, Second-Hand-Cars
 What would you think are the many ways to regain a lost kingdom? GM, the once greatest car manufacturer of the United States and Numero Uno car maker of the world, has taken all the required steps to come back to its lost glory and the latest in the list is its promise to the customers to refund full amount to them if they are not satisfied about the car. The company by doing so is trying to build a clean image and gain back the trust and goodwill of its loyal customers. In fact, the company with this promise alive will try to build its cars with extra care so that they will not have a single customer returning displeased. It is very hard to not have even one customer who complains about his car, but the company will be attaining a great amount of confidence and trust from its customers if the numbers are less. But the company is also taking a risk by bringing in such an offer, because if the number of satisfied customers is not good then the company will be actually in a complete menace, and this initiative by the company will bring in adverse effect and will even affect the future sales of the company. If you are not satisfied then you need to return the car back to the company within 30 to 60 days of purchasing and the full amount will be refunded, but thinking aloud, just wondering what if the returned car is not in a good condition, will the company still take the whole blame and refund the full amount? This program is introduced as a part of a new marketing campaign from the company “May the Best Car Win”. The company brands such as GMAC, Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac will have this offer for their cars purchased between September 14 and November 30, this year. The Pontiac models will not have this luxury as the company has phased out this brand. The Indian customers need to wait to see whether this offer will be available to them. Labels: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM
Thursday, 10 September 2009
Women these days are having more fun with cars. The first of its kind, a women’s driving event was conducted in the country. It was of course shocking to know that this was the first time women are having such an affair but yes a sigh of relief that it has at least happened now. Women were driving their Lamborghini and Bentley cars and seeing the beauties drive the marvel from the world of technology and machines was a really amazing sight. Not only are women indulged in fun driving, they are also getting ready to drive for a cause. There will be a women’s rally conducted for breast cancer awareness. This rally is conducted by the forum for Breast Cancer Protection so that they could raise fund for the cancer patients and will also generate awareness about breast cancer prevention. The rally that will start from Delhi on October 2, 2009 from Delhi will end at Agra. This makes us think what all were the notions that were alive in the motor world once upon a time about how women can never make good drivers; of course by giving it a second thought, whether the phrase ‘once upon a time’ suits the context as what you have just read is not a past or lost thought but is still living in the minds of many. But the days have changed at least for a few who will be later marked the pioneers in asserting the budding thought more serious driving by women. Labels: Bentley, Car-Rally, Lamborghini
A Ferrari is in town to paint the streets in Red and many other interesting colours. The “Prancing Horse” has drawn inspiration from its legendary creation the Ferrari Enzo, to create a power-packed replacement for the F430 with a new look influenced by the Mille Chili concept car. The new ultimate modern Ferrari is christened as the 458 Italia. The name derives from its engine: a 4.5-litre V8 which the Italian Car maker claims to have the highest specific output of any normally aspirated car engine. Moreover, the Ferrari 458 Italia will come with in exciting colours, not just typical ‘Ferrari Red’. Like the original Enzo, the new supercar will immortalise the legendary founder of the brand. This performance car will be loaded with the technology learned from years of Formula One experience. The powerplant of the F430 should give 562 horsepower. The car is ferociously fast and it can sprint to 100km/h in less than 3.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of over 322 km/h.  Ferrari 458 gets a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox that directs power to the rear axle. Much has been done to reduce internal friction within the new V8, in addition aerodynamic drag improvements. As a result, the Ferrari 458 Italia's gas mileage improves to a combined 7.3 km/l on the EU test cycle. Ferrari is likely to use twin-turbocharger to make the most out of a smaller-displacement V8 engine. Improved aerodynamics, including adjustable front and rear spoilers, will not only help the new 458 Italia stick to the road at maximum speeds, but it will also ensure reduced fuel consumption. The direct fuel injection has also helped cut CO2 emissions, producing a claimed 320gm/km of CO2. The Ferrari 458 Italia's Pininfarina design provides further evidence of the complete departure from the past that this new car hails. The Ferrari 458 Italia has a compact, aerodynamic shape, underscoring the concepts of simplicity, efficiency and lightness that inspired the project. The front features a single opening for the front grille and side air intakes, with aerodynamic sections and profiles designed to direct air to the coolant radiators and the new flat underbody. The nose also sports small aeroelastic winglets which generate downforce and, as speed rises, deform to reduce the section of the radiator inlets and cut drag. The Ferrari 458 Italia's interior is another area of the car that exalts its sporty personality. The driver is welcomed by a new layout and a revolutionary ergonomic interface where the main controls are all clustered on the steering wheel. The car will debut in the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. Production will probably be at least as limited as the original Enzo, meaning no more than 400 of the 1 million Euro-plus supercars will emerge from Maranello when it goes on sale in over a year’s time. Labels: Ferrari-458-Italia, Ferrari-Enzo, Frankfurt-Motor-Show
The cars from China are the best in the industry but it should not come as a surprise that the Indian cars are outselling them. And remembering the booming demand for the Indian cars in the American market, it will not be a wild guess to mention that the Indian car market has a reason to celebrate, not only because it was able to beat China in the race to sell more cars, but also because Indian car market seems to have little affected by the economic slowdown and it was even able to shrug off any signs of it and emerge out of the soaring condition with utmost strength. The hard-to-digest fact is that India has exported more cars, around 2.30 lakh, between January and July this year, while China has exported only 1.65 lakh. The numbers are still growing and the reason could be many. The Indian domestic mark is less than 20 per cent of the car market of China, to be very precise just 19 per cent, and it is very surprising and at the same time welcoming to see the rise in acceptance for the Indian cars in the global market. A few of the many reasons that have constituted for this great change is the ever-young small car market in the country, which is accepted worldwide for its class, reliability and of course a price tag that is much cheaper than many others. The labour charge is also comparatively less in the country. When the small car market has worked favourably for the growth of export in the country, the big car market, which was hit hard by the recession, has worked against China, which deals most with the cars from this segment. Labels: Chinese-Cars, Indian-car-market, Small-Car
With the festive season on the threshold, most of the car makers in India are increasing their production by recruiting a batch of new employees. But some of the car makers are yet to up their production scale. Many car makers are now rolling out more cars than their monthly average, expecting immense sales in the months of September and October. But luxury car makers like BMW India and Mercedes-Benz India manufactured less cars last month compared to the same month last year. In fact, BMW's production decreased by 8 per cent to 224 units while Mercedes-Benz made almost 80 per cent less cars at just 91 units in August. Of late, we have seen that BMW has edged out Mercedes-Benz which has been ruling the luxury car segment in India. It has been revealed that Mercedes-Benz has been considering on commercial vehicle business to generate growth and also is busy renovating the E-Class, which is the company’s biggest selling model in India. Toyota Kirloskar Motor, the Indian arm of Toyota Motor Corporation, manufactured 10.67 per cent less at just 4,831 units in August in spite of getting very good order bookings for the Fortuner. SkodaAuto India reported almost halving of production in comparison with August 2008. The most evident reason for this could be the sales of the Fabia continue to remain below expectations since its launch in January 2008. The maker of the mighty Ambassador, the Lancer, the Cedia and the Outlander in India, Hindustan Motors, produced only 716 cars which show a decline of over 2 per cent. Moreover, General Motors with its Chevrolet brand also made almost 5 per cent less cars at 5,109 units last month. We have Mahindra Renault India, which makes the mid-size sedan Logan, has manufactured only a fraction of what it did last year because of the car's low sales. It made only 785 units in August, a decline of almost 38 per cent. But, Tata Motors showed a modest 3.41 per cent increase in its overall production of Commercial Vehicles (CVs) and passenger vehicles. However, the overall production of vehicles, showed a healthy growth of 15.27 per cent at 11,33,839 units last month. On the sales front, the good run continued for passenger cars with domestic sales growing a healthy 25.59 per cent at 1,20,669 units. The Indian car industry has been witnessing a boom during the festive season over the ages. Car makers generally ramp their production this time of the year to meet the demands of the customers. The Indian car market is growing steadily and in near future it will surely knock out China and emerge as the largest car market in the world. Labels: BMW-Cars, Luxury-car-maker, Toyota-Kirloskar-Motor
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
There is a good chance that your will become a small car very soon. To make matters more clear removing the cloud of confusion in the first sentence, here is a further explanation to it. The Japanese car makers Toyota and Honda Motors are the two that are looking for a change in the way India will define a small car. The companies are asking the Indian government to “Change the criteria of classifying a small car”. And there is a good reason for this which will not only benefit the two companies but all the car makers in the country; and the better reason is that in India small cars have lower tax rates. But will the two be able to change the mind of the Indian government into thinking different about small cars and classify a different set of cars as small cars taking into consideration the new criteria such as the emission norms, fuel efficiency, and passenger safety and not the engine capacity, which has been for a long time, the defining factor. This request raised by the Toyota and Honda has invited different opinions. Many are of the same opinion that the government should stop defining a car as small just by considering the fuel and engine capacity. The demand of the small cars in the country is really do the magic and that could be the reason why these companies want the Indian government to think new. It is expected that if the governments nods at changing the defining criterion then there will be a huge shuffle in the Indian car industry. Labels: Honda, Indian-Car-Manufacturer, Small-Car, Toyota
 Now Ford India has a new Endeavour. The refreshed Endeavour comes in a new avatar with a wide array of contemporary features. The new Ford Endeavour comes with both automatic and manual transmission variants and will be launched across the country in a phased manner. Bookings for the new SUV from Ford have started from today in the north and the west regions with launches scheduled in the south and east markets in the next few weeks. The new Ford Endeavour can boast of many new design cues. The robust Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) displays a major overhaul in the front fascia with a multi-bar chrome grille and chrome-accented lower grille combining with wraparound headlamps, in an effort to create a distinctive style. The facelifted Endeavour will set new benchmarks in its segment with its contemporary new design look. The revamped grille appears in stylish horizontal bars that seem to float in the grille opening with the Ford logo in the middle and the top edge of the grille features a wide header bar with the Endeavour embossed boldly into its surface. The side mirrors of the new Ford Endeavour are full of functionality and style. The mirrors are clothed in a matte black with chrome with power folding convenience and turn indicator repeater lamps with a puddle lamp feature, which illuminates the ground around the door of the vehicle as the driver approaches the SUV and unlocks its doors by remote control. The SUV from Ford India stable stands on new 16-inch alloy wheels which are fitted with 245/70R16 tyres. In the interior, the new Endeavour is spacious and comfy. It can seat seven persons on the ergonomically crafted leather seats. The door panels of the Endeavour come in premium material that reveal a distinctive chrome scuff plate with illuminated Endeavour branding on opening. The new Ford Endeavour comes with two new engines. The 2.5 Litre Duratorq TDCi with Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) engine is coupled with 5 speed manual transmission that generates 141 bhp. The 3.0 Litre Duratorq TDCi with Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) engine is mated to a 5 speed automatic transmission gearbox that can deliver a powerful 154 bhp and features an electronic shift-on-the-fly system for the convenient selection of 2WD or 4WD mode. Both the turbocharged engine provides outstanding torque output plus impressive levels of smoothness and refinement. The Endeavour has established itself as an undisputable leader in the premium SUV segment. The 2.5L 4X2 manual transmission variant is available at Rs. 15,99,000 variant (Ex-Showroom, New Delhi) and the 3.0L 4X4 automatic transmission edition comes at Rs. 17,99,000 (Ex-Showroom, New Delhi). Labels: Ford-Car-India, Ford-Cars, Ford-Endeavour, Ford-Endeavour-Automatic, Ford-India, Indian SUV, SUV
 It seems like Maruti Suzuki has mastered the art of reading the mass psyche. India’s leading car manufacturer surely knows to put bring in the right things at the right time like no other car manufacturer. We are here speaking about the new Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara which was launched in July amidst much fan-fare, the company’s luxury SUV will soon come with a new heart. The new Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara comes only as a petrol variant in India and elsewhere. But this stylish SUV will be getting a heart transplant and a change of blood in it. Confused? Read below for more info. Beaming in pride with the success of its revolutionary K-series engines and the new series of DDiS diesel engines, Suzuki Motor Corporation has plonked the new diesel engine in its new Grand Vitara. The diesel variant will have the revolutionary 1.9 DDiS engine. The reloaded Grand Vitara was launched with the new 1.9 DDiS engine in the UK and it is on its way to the Indian sub-continent. How cool is that? The powerful and torquey engine option puts the revised Grand Vitara in a league of world class diesel off-roaders with colossal 300Nm of torque right from 2000rpm and 127bhp of power available from 3750rpm. The existing Grand Vitara is powered by Grand Vitara is powered by a 163 bhp 2.4-liter VVT petrol engine. A diesel variant for the Grand Vitara will lure more customers in and will make it a lucrative product in Maruti Suzuki’s current line-up. A powerful diesel engine like the 1.9 DDiS coupled to the 4x4 system will certainly give the new Grand Vitara an outstanding off-roading capacity and the massive 300Nm of torque means that the Grand Vitara can gladly take on any rough terrain. The Indian car market will surely welcome the diesel variant of the SUV, Grand Vitara. Of course we will. Labels: Maruti-Suzuki, Maruti-Suzuki-Grand-Vitara, SUV
Pulling itself slowly out of the economic slowdown and its after effects, the American market has a new American dream. In fact they are thinking along the safest way for a better tomorrow. According to a recent survey conducted in America, American car buyers, in a shift in thought, have plans for a greener tomorrow. It seems that they do not want to make yet another mistake about for which they will regret sometime in the future. It is of course planning well for a better tomorrow and the car buyers are just reflecting the trend of the days by choosing to buy hybrid cars. Yes, Hybrid Cars certainly seems to be the mantra of the new era, but what else could be done to bring back the ailing nature? A car buyer need not sacrifice on anything to buy a hybrid car, very soon, the all-knowing car manufacturers will be bundling the car market with hybrid cars with high tech options. But it is true that the car buyers have to wait a little longer before this happens and so a customer who is looking to buy a car in the next few months or perhaps years if stubborn about a hybrid car should settle for the ones that are available in the market currently. In India too, the hybrid car market is booming. And the only electric car manufacturer of the country Maini Reva is planning to launch its two new models NXR and NXG. It is possible that Indians will also ape the western car market, but for a good cause this time. Embracing the hybrid cars there are still many thoughts which lingers in the minds of the car buyer which disturbs them deeply. The disturbing factors of reliability, mileage, and the pricing are just a few of them. But the future of the Hybrid cars seems to be robust and this should be what the car manufacturers should be striving for. Labels: Hybrid-Cars, Indian-Car-Buyers, Maini-Reva
Frankfurt Motor show or the International Motor Show (IAA) held at Frankfurt in September of every year draws car enthusiasts and car manufacturers at the same breath. This year’s IAA is abuzz with the news of Hybrid and electric vehicles taking centre stage in the show. Every major and minor car manufacturers have lined up a slew of these hybrid and electric cars just for the event to paint the automotive world in the colours of Blue and Green. Making a world debut in the 'Blue Drive Zone' is the Hyundai ix-Metro, a new crossover hybrid with CO2 emissions of just 80g/km. The ix-Metro is powered by an inline three-cylinder petrol engine displacing just one-litre. Direct injection, dual CVVT and turbo-charging are all combined with a six-speed dual clutch transmission to make for a highly potent compact package. Hyundai will also be unveiling the HND-4 'Blue-Will' plug-in hybrid, which promises 40 miles of all-electric range with its parallel hybrid architecture which combines a 1.6-liter four-cylinder gas engine with direct-injection technology to charge a set of lithium-polymer batteries, which in turn provides power to an electric motor to drive the front wheels. Kia is also showing their latest hybrid offering. Among the models unveiled will be the 2010 Sorento diesel hybrid - powered by a twin-turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder diesel engine mated to an electric motor to provide 161 horsepower. The all-new five- or seven-seater Kia Sorento SUV is longer and lower, with sleeker styling and better aerodynamics. Kia will also debut a mild-hybrid version of the Kia Cee'd hybrid – the company's top-selling model in Europe. The vehicle will pair a 1.6-liter four cylinder gas engine running to a hybrid power-train. While no stranger to hybrid technology, Toyota will be showcasing three new hybrids at the Frankfurt Show including the Lexus LF-Ch, a 5-door hatch back with Hybrid Synergy Drive technology. Few details have been released on this model but more information is expected at the Show. Also from Toyota is the Toyota Auris Hybrid already proven popular in Europe with 400,000 units sold since its launch in 2007. Not to be left out, given its iconic hybrid status, the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Concept will also be making an appearance in advance of its fleet testing scheduled for early 2010. Indian electric car manufacturers REVA are ready to launch two new fully electric models the REVA NXG a 4-seat family hatch-back and the REVA NXR, a sporty 2-seater. The 4-seat NXR hatch back will run on Lithium ion batteries that can attain a maximum speed of 104kmph and covers a range of 160 kms when fully charged. Hyundai will also be unveiling the Hyundai i10 Electric, a production-ready zero emissions vehicle. Powered by a 49kW motor and a 16kWh battery, the i10 Electric promises a driving range of 100 miles and top speed of over 80 mph. The mass of hybrids and electric vehicles due to be unveiled at Frankfurt clearly conveys the current mind-set of the auto-industry, with a strong emphasis on lower emissions. Even Porsche are jumping on the green bandwagon with the announcement of a hybrid version of the Cayenne due in 2010. We just can’t wait to see the 63rd International Motor Show (IAA) unravel itself on 17th and will run until the 27th of September in Frankfurt. Labels: Electric-Cars, Hybrid-Cars, Toyota-Prius
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
 The new Honda 2010 Civic has just been launched. The car comes to the Indian car market with a new interior and exterior. Loaded with the 1.8 L i-VTEC engine, which boasts as the most advanced engine of the segment, the new Honda Civic is available in three variants namely SMT, VMT, and VAT. The new exterior designs have added on to the sporty look of the car with the curved fog light with garnish, 5 point metallic front grille, newly designed alloy wheel, and restyled front sporty bumper. The restyled dark smokey headlights and crystalline octagonal tail lights betters the stance of the new Civic. The interiors of the new Civic is designed to excellence with two tone luxury high quality fabric seats with matching fabric on door panels and armrest and full flat floor. The auxiliary Jack in the front seat and audio controls for the backseat gives the machine a more sophisticated feel. In the VMT and VAT variants, the car comes ready with a steering mounted cruise control system. The fuel economy of the car looks very appreciative with 15.5 kilometre per litre for manual transmission and 13.1 km/l for automatic transmission. The car also has a range of safety features that ensures the complete safety of the passengers with ABS (Anti - Lock braking system) with EBD (Electronic Brake - Force Distribution System) and Brake Assist, pre-tensioner seat belts and Dual SRS airbags. There are five paint options including Alabaster Silver Metallic, Tafeta White, Polished Metal Metallic, Hebanero Red, and Crystal Black Pearl. The price of the car is not yet revealed by Honda. Labels: 2010-New-Honda-Civic, Honda
What do you think is the most commemorated word these days in the automobile world, it is nothing else but Green. In fact it is not only the automobile world that is now emphasizing the green technology but the world around has understood the emergency of the situation to go green. Indian car industry also thinks along the same line and is planning to be more eco friendly than ever, not only to save the earth but to meet the growing customer interests. More and more customers are now opting eco friendly cars and now it has almost become a trend in the country to use cars that is less harmful to the environment. Another growing demand in the country is that of small cars, and this segment has been aimed at by many major carmakers of the country, where most of them have already announced the launch of their small car. Ford India is smart enough to combine the both; the company will produce a small car with an eco friendly engine technology. Doesn’t it look like the right mix for the Indian car industry, it certainly does. Ford is planning to use the EcoBoost engine technology in the new small cars. Though the company has not introduced the EcoBoost engine technology in Indian cars before, it has been used in the compact cars and large trucks in the United States. The new engine, compared to the other diesel and petrol engines, emits less carbon dioxide (CO2) and thus is nature friendly. Though this is a plan that the company will not implement in the near future, it certainly appears to be a much welcomed thought from the Ford. The company will initially produce the small car with 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines and will come out with the EcoBoost engine technology only later, this must be because that the company needs to monitor the acceptance of its new small car before it is given a costlier heart. Labels: eco-friendly-cars, EcoBoost-Engine-Technology, Ford
 Vitantonio Liuzzi will occupy the vacant seat at Force India for the rest of the season. The Force India Formula One Team is happy to have a new driver after Giancarlo Fisichella moved to the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro team alongside Kimi Räikkönen. Fisichella logged Force India's first point in the Belgium Grand Prix. The 28 year old Vitantonio Liuzzi will make his Formula One comeback in next weekend’s Italian Grand Prix. He will assume his driving duties of car number 21. Liuzzi has been able to realize the team’s crucial test, reserve driver and development role from the start of the 2008 season. Vitantonio Liuzzi aka Tonio is delighted to get back into the race car particularly at his home Grand Prix in Monza. Tonio is an ex-Red Bull and Toro Rosso driver and current reserve for the Silverstone team. Liuzzi steps up to Force India's race team alongside Adrian Sutil to compete in F1 for the first time since the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix. This is a direct result of Felipe Massa getting injured and Ferrari having to replace test driver Luca Badoer with Giancarlo Fisichella. Vitantonio Liuzzi made his F1 debut at the San Marino Grand Prix with Red Bull Racing in 2005. He scored a point on this debut although he competed in just three more races that year before making a permanent switch to Toro Rosso in 2006, where he remained for the 2007 season. He has contested 39 Grand Prix and achieved a career-best result of sixth in the rain-lashed 2007 Chinese Grand Prix. Force India is now in a very competitive position and it needs a driver who can continue this momentum. Labels: Belgium-Grand-Prix, Force-India, Formula-One
The Indian car industry is gearing up for the upcoming festive season with valour and vigour. ‘Navratri’ will start from 19th of this month and the Indian car industry is waiting to witness a boom. The ‘shraddh’ period has just begun in India, a period when Indians restrain themselves from all the goodies of life. Last year the auto industry made a fortune during the auspicious ‘Navratri’. With Durga Puja, Dussera and Diwali on the threshold, the Indian automobile industry is expecting a boost in sales. Many car makers like Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor India, Honda Siel Cars India, Toyota Kirloskar Motors and Volkswagen India have hired new workers to push up the production forward. But there are almost no new launches during this period except for the Chevrolet Cruze and the Volkswagen Beetle is expected sometime in October. Therefore, the apparent excitement this festival season is around the Maruti Ritz, Fiat Grande Punto and Honda Jazz for passenger cars -- brands which are relatively new but have already been selling in the market well before the festival season begins. The only new thing this year would be the hefty discounts which most automobile makers offer around festivals. Maruti Suzuki that sells cars every second in India is offering a discount of as much as Rs 30,000 on WagonR. Honda Siel Cars India, which hardly gives any discounts, has just announced a promotion scheme called 'Win a Car' in which one lucky Honda customer will win a Honda car every week between September 7 and October 31. Other carmakers are likely to announce their discounts and special offers in the coming days. The Chairman of Maruti Suzuki India Limited is confident that there will be a double-digit growth during the festive months and the VP of Hero Honda is certain that the company will be selling over 6 Lakh vehicles. In the same way, Honda Siel is equally upbeat since last year, flagship 'City' was not available and the newly launched Honda Jazz should add to overall sales this festive season. Moreover, dealerships across the country have already begun stocking up in anticipation of a sales surge. Besides, the lower inventory carrying costs this year should additionally helps dealers. Last year during this time, inventory carrying costs were almost 1.5% a month, but now, these costs have come down to 1.25% a month. India has already pipped China in car exports. Rise in automobile sales will take India to a new level and soon India will emerge as one of the largest car makers of the world. We can only hope and wait to see India being termed as the “Detroit of the East.”Labels: Chevrolet-Cruz, Honda-Siel, Maruti-Suzuki
Celebrations have started for Hyundai and the company is ready to share the pleasure and joy of its 10th birthday in the country with its most priced customers. A decade long life of Hyundai in India has been rewarding for the company; it has been accepted and adorned by its customers for bringing out the most reliable cars. But for Honda it is a different reason to celebrate, the festival season in the country that will not end for another couple of months give Honda a reason to increase its sales and also celebrate and the Win a Car Contest has been introduced for this reason. Hyundai Motor India Ltd offers nationwide Free Car Care Clinic from the 7th of September till the 20th. This is not the first time the company is conducting a nationwide venture, but the seventh time in this short period of ten years of the company’s tenure in the country, but with this time there are lot more goodies. Conducted across 375 Hyundai dealer workshops, for the first time, the Hyundai customers can avail this service at Hyundai Authorised Service Centres (HASC), 30 of them across the country. The car will be undergone a complete 80 point check-up. The engine, under-body, exteriors, transmission etc will be given a thorough check up, in fact no part of the car will be left unexamined. The esteemed customers of Hyundai will get a free car wash, other value added services, and special discounts on oil and consumables. The discount percentage also mounts for each service, if it is a 10 per cent discount on spare parts, there is an attractive, much higher 20 per cent discount on labour charges. But things are a little different with Honda customers, as only those customers, who buys a Honda from September 7 to October 31 this year has a reason to rejoice as there is a change for them to drive home another Honda in less than a month’s time. The company also offers special accessory packages for the Jazz, Civic, City, Accord and CR-V. This is not all the company is celebrating its birthday with high pomp and there are return gifts too, if you are lucky. Extended warranty, gift hampers, a first prize of 32” LCD television, and the list does not stop here. Each Hyundai customer should make most of this opportunity, understanding that such golden opportunities do not happen every while. But this is surely a great way of treating its customers, gifting them an unforgettable Free Service. And for those who are planning to buy a new car never fail to check out Honda cars, not one, two of them as you may win another very soon. Labels: Honda, Honda-City, Hyundai
Monday, 7 September 2009
After amusing and alluring the car lovers for a decade, the Ford Taurus SHO (Super High Output) went into hiding and now has plans of a grand return by next year. The year 2010 will witness the launch of the new Ford Taurus, a mid size performance sedan.
It is really interesting to watch the return of the Taurus after eleven long years. And also keeping in mind Y2K has brought in a new look for the car industry worldwide, it would be a tough stay for the Taurus if not shown at the right shades. It cannot be forgotten that the model vanished into thin air in 1999 merely because of the scarcity of popularity. And Ford in fact was ashamed to take it any further and decided to decline the production and push Taurus into darkness.
The new Ford that will be reintroduced in 2010 will not only have a Taurus nameplate but it will also re-launch the SHO model. The new styling and technology plans of the to-be- re-introduced Taurus SHO is expected to not disappoint the car lovers but will instead charm them with its new styling and performance.
The 2010 Taurus SHO will not resemble the base model, but will be slightly different from it. With a 2.6-liter Duratec V6 engine that produces 365 horsepower and 350 lb ft of toque and has a six-speed automatic transmission the car has all the components of a majestic sedan competent enough for the tough car market situation of the period.
The 2010 Taurus will have SHO branding, larger wheels, and aluminum interior trim accents. Well, it looks really tempting and now the only thing you can do is wait, wait for the coming of 2010 and 2010 Taurus SHO.
Labels: 2010-Taurus-SHO, Ford-Taurus-SHO
 India’s only electric car maker Maini Reva Electric Car Company (REVA) will be displaying two new cars, the NXR and the NXG, at the 63rd Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA). The REVA NXR is a two door four seater family hatchback which is automatic, easy to drive, park and safe. The car comes with an option of solar panels on the top. On the other hand, the REVA NXG is the stylish and sportier edition of the NXR. The NXR will have a range of 160 km per charge and top speed of 104 kmph, while the NXG has a range of 200 km per charge and top speed of 130 kmph. The REVA NXR is likely to hit the roads by the first quarter next year and the NXG will be available from the first quarter of 2011. The cars are powered by more forceful engines, lithium ion batteries with longer charge time and patented technologies aimed at removing the anxieties associated with Electric Vehicles (EV). The electric car company has introduced the new REVive telematics technology that can act as an invisible reserve fuel tank in both the cars. Further technology and pricing announcements will be made at the IAA. These new electric cars are designed by car stylist Dilip Chhabria of the internationally renowned automotive design company DC Design. The cars will go on production by the beginning of 2010. The company is expecting to sell at least 3000 units in three years. Reva plans to introduce the NXR in around 24 countries across Europe and Asia. At present, REVA has 24 markets in different countries across the global. It has over 3,000 EVs on the road and more than 70 million kilometres of user experience. The company is building a new ultra low carbon vehicle assembly plant in Bangalore, with a capacity of 30,000 units per annum, to accommodate increased production and is planning to introduce even more measures to ensue that it has the cleanest and greenest production. Labels: Electric-Cars, Frankfurt-International-Motor-Show, REVA
Hyundai is having a ball and keeping itself busy with all the action in the motoring circles. Hyundai Motor Corporation will be launching the new electric vehicle from its stable based on the popular Hyundai i10 in this year’s Frankfurt Auto Show. Well now that we have said Hyundai has kept itself busy, we also want to give a special mention on the dream concept car project, ix-Metro which Hyundai is currently working on. It seems like Hyundai Motor Corporation, certainly knows how to beat recession by giving more work for the engineers working with the auto giant. Hyundai, with the aid of Global Design Team in Korea, is designing a concept car called the ix-Metro. The Hyundai ix-Metro is an entry-level hybrid crossover. The ix-Metro has been made keeping in mind the young European crowd. The car offers all the practicality, robustness and versatility of a crossover in an elegant and sophisticated package.  The car design has been inspired by the virtual world of space travel as the design team wanted to the car design to be different, something out of this world. The team took inspiration from NASA and even sci-fi movies because spacecraft are universally understood symbols of progress and innovation. The ix-Metro is a departure from the flowing design language found on recent Hyundai production and concept cars. It delves into a new direction with its use of intersected surfaces and strong triangulating lines achieving a pleasing dynamic tension. The high beltline gives a protective feeling, while twenty-inch rims give the Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV) a purposeful muscular stance. The ice-blue LED lights in the front fascia are furnished in shades of gold, while the intersected front grille with its integrated fog lamps projects a striking, imposing look. The concept car has a conventional ‘suicide door' configuration as the B-pillar is lacking and has sliding rear doors. The B-pillar-less design not only enlarges the eco car to improve all-round visibility, but more importantly allows easier entry and exit into the rear passenger area. The idea of a protective capsule served as the guiding principle for the interior designers, who opted for a wraparound effect connecting the dashboard, center console, door panel and front seats for a strongly unified look. Surfaces for the seating, cargo space and other key panels are divided by light-filled gaps. Ice-blue illumination creates a high-tech effect. Taking inspiration from sci-fi movies, the designers have chosen a white semi-transparent silicon-like material to cover the dashboard area, which conceals the central display to deliver route information and key controls. The effect is thoroughly modern and unified. Other high tech accessories include digital side view cameras, whose ultra-slim profiles minimize air turbulence and wind noise. The Hyundai ix-Metro will come with foldable rear seats and cargo area, which are connected into one functional loading area. As for the front seats and front exterior illumination, ice-blue lighting is used to divide the cargo area into handy compartments for different purposes. As a CUV, the ix-Metro conveys a feeling of safety, an all-important factor in today's challenging urban environment. And with its greater ground clearance and higher seating position, the Hyundai ix-Metro driver will simply feel safer. The ix-Metro delivers a speedy performance while striving to be ecologically-correct with CO2 emissions of just 80g/km. The car displaces just 1-litre and the three-cylinder petrol engine incorporates highly sophisticated features to maximize output while minimizing fuel consumption. Whoa! If dreams and concepts could just be reality. It will as we have seen. Labels: Concept-Cars, Hyundai-ix-Metro, Hyundai-Motor-Corporation
For Hyundai Motors, it seems like filling the void. The void of entry into electric cars segment. We have of late seen or heard most of the car makers, if not all, join the electric car manufacturing band wagon. Hyundai it looks as if, a strong believer in the adage ‘Make hay while sunshine’. Hyundai Korea has just done the much speculated thing. After a quick heart transplant in its existing and popular small car i10, the guys in Hyundai have brought out the new Electric Vehicle (EV). This creation will most certainly star in the Frankfurt Motor Show later this month. We hear that the guys in Hyundai Motors have been slogging day in and day out on this project. Hyundai i10, a small car and a hatch back will be positioned as an example of electric urban or city vehicle. It is said that the Hyundai i10 EV comes with a 66 bhp electric motor powered by a 16 kwh lithium-ion battery. The battery cells are provided by LG Chem. Driving range is 145 kilometers and top speed is 133 kph. 0 to 60 time is a rather leisurely 15 seconds. Hyundai also has added an intrinsic liquid thermal management system in the battery which makes the car charge upto 85 per cent in 15-minutes flat at 413 V. How cool is that?  But Hyundai has borrowed a leaf from GM Volt’s story and is leasing a low volume fleet in Korea in 2010 to understand the psyche of the people and probably would go into global production in 2012. Hyundai says that the battery cost would be above the sky limit for anybody to own at the moment forcing Hyundai will offer these vehicles as lease-only for the foreseeable future. In fact, the price of the pack is greater than the cost of an entire conventional gas-powered i10. Now for the price update you’ll have been eagerly looking in this blog for. Ladies and Gentlemen, Hyundai i10 EV’s 16 kwh battery pack itself costs, Hold our breath, 10,000 euro. Ok, allow us to translate this complicated currency with our own. It roughly could read something like Rs. 7,00,000. Alright that might sound affordable to you, but we are being polite in reminding you it is just the cost of the battery pack and the whole car could actually cost a bomb. But since, Hyundai has had at least the courtesy of admitting the battery pack cost of their Electric Vehicle, we also think that GM Volt’s battery cost also should be hovering around in that price range since they also use the same supplier ‘s cells and also have the intrinsic temperature management system. Ah Guys, We also would like to add something else before we forget. This car though a hybrid in itself, the energy consumption is awesome. Hyundai i10 returns with a mind-blowing mileage of 7.8 miles per kwh. The Volt achieves 5 miles per kwh. Way to go Hyundai. It seems like Koreans can teach a lesson or two in conserving that precious energy. For us Indians, we should be glad that we have Hyundai’s i10 doing rounds here in India. So we know that it surely would be in Indian shores sometime soon after the global production of the EV kicks off. We also are staunch believers in the adage ‘Better late than never’. Labels: GM-Volt, Hybrid-Cars, Hyundai-i10-EV
Friday, 4 September 2009
German luxury car maker Audi has launched the new Q7 in India. The New Audi Q7 is a full-size luxury crossover Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV). The new Audi Q7 comes in three engine variants. There are two petrol engine options to select and one diesel engine option. The petrol engines are 3.6L FSI Quattro which can generate 280 bhp and the 4.2L FSI Quattro that churns out a power of 350 bhp. The diesel engine is powered by a 3.0L TDI Quattro engine that can produce 240 bhp. Audi gives us a wide palate of eleven new colours to select: Ibis White, Teak Brown, Orca Black and Graphite Grey as well as the existing colors which include Deep Black, Bahia Beige, Cobalt Blue, Condor Grey, Ice Silver, Garnet Red and Lava Grey.  The new Audi Q7 is a sporty, comfortable, high-performance SUV. The SUV is designed to grab attention of the customers with its side view that commands attention. The low window area, the arched roof line and the tautly curved body surfaces presents a coupe-like silhouette and this design is truly mesmerizing. New accents at the front and rear end appeal the eyes of the viewers. New single-frame radiator grill in high gloss black with vertical chrome bars adds robustness to the car in conjunction with new Xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights. The new Audi Q7 also comes with optional high-end headlight version that integrates not only a low beam, high beam, and turning and cornering lights, but for the first time also a special superhighway beam. The new Audi Q7 SUV is endowed with adaptable headlights that switch on or off according to the movement of the car, showing the path ahead clearly. The restyled tailgate presents a more forceful contour. LEDs are standard equipment in the taillights. An aluminum exterior package adds further highlights to the styling. The S line exterior package is designed for sports-minded customers and is available as optional equipment. The new Audi Q7 can boast of some new features like voice control that can enable the driver to operate a cell phone or music system by just uttering the phone number or the name of a song. The new Audi Q7 has comfortable seating for seven persons with ample legroom and luggage space of about 2,035 litres. Audi is expecting to sell 1,700-1,800 units and a growth of 70 per cent by the end of this year. Audi India has achieved a growth of 62 per cent in 2009 by selling 1,128 cars so far. The entire Audi model range, comprising the newly launched, Audi Q5 and the new Audi A6, the Audi A8, the Audi Q7, the Audi A4, the Audi TT and the super sports car Audi R8, are currently available at 12 dealerships across the country. The German luxury car behemoth is also planning to expand its dealership to 18 in two years in India. Audi India is expecting to start assembling its Q5 SUV in India by March 2010. They will the assembling process at the Aurangabad plant. The company currently assembles its luxury sedans A4 and A6 at its Aurangabad plant. The new Q7 is available in the showrooms from 3rd September 2009. The new Audi Q7 range starts at (ex-showroom Mumbai) Rs 53.4 Lakh for the 3.0 TDI Quattro, Rs 55.2 Lakh for the 3.6 FSI Quattro and Rs.29.9 Lakh for the 4.2 FSI Quattro. Labels: New-Audi-Q7, New-Car-Launch, Sports-Utility-Vehicle
Libya is known for large petroleum reserves, but now Libya will be famous for cars. This is not a normal car; this is a ‘rocket car’. The legendary Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi has designed a ‘rocket car’. This amazing ‘rocket car’ has been designed to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1969 coup that brought him to power. Muammar al-Gaddafi with his comrades led a bloodless coup against King Idris I on 1 September 1969. The prototype of the ‘rocket car’ is called the Libyan Rocket. It is an ultra-safe car as sleek as a rocket. The sedan is 17 feet long and more than 6 feet wide. The sedan is powered by a 3-liter V-6 gasoline engine. The Libyan Rocket is also fitted with airbags, collapsible bumpers and an unspecified ‘electronic defense system’. The sedan can travel hundreds of kilometres on a flat tire. This feature is incorporated as a safety and emergency feature that come be useful while driving through the vast deserts of Libya. Another safety feature installed in this car is a device to cut off the fuel supply to the engine to avoid fire in case of accident. Muammar al-Gaddafi was in discussion with Tesco TS SpA, an automotive design company based in Turin, about the Libyan Rocket’s styling and asked the Italian car design company for an original car using Libyan materials including marble, leather and fabric. The car was unveiled earlier this week in Tripoli at the end of an African Union summit. The construction of the production unit to manufacture this car will begin next month in Tripoli. Gaddafi selected the name 'rocket' to send a message that Libya uses such devices for peaceful ends. Labels: Car-Design-Company, Safety-Feature, Sedan
Thursday, 3 September 2009
The Caparo T1 can really make eyeballs pop out and jaws drop. This T1 is not a race car but a very common road-going car. In fact, this is a perfect combination of Formula 1 technology and a normal car. The Caparo T1 is a British mid-engine, rear-wheel drive, two-seat car manufactured by Caparo Vehicle Technologies. The car is designed by a group of ex-F1 engineers. The car was designed to prove the world that the speed of a F1 car could also be felt in a road legal car. The T1 comes with a 3.5L V8 supercharged engine that can deliver a maximum power of 575 bhp. The engine has been reported to successfully reach 700 bhp of power on methanol fuel. The engine is controlled via a fully tunable Pectel SQ6 engine control unit and the throttle is controlled via a throttle-by-wire system. The T1's gearbox is a 6-speed sequential made of a magnesium and carbon construction that has a variety of available gear ratios and utilizes a pneumatic actuator to shift.  The Caparo T1 has a top speed of 330 km/h. It can accelerate from 0–100 km in less than 2.5 seconds. The car is low on fuel consumption, showing an excellent mileage of 21 km/l. The exterior of the T1 is similar to a Formula One racing car. The body is made of carbon fibre with aerodynamic low drag body design. It is composed of individual sections, with an adjustable twin element front wing, single element rear wing, and fowler flaps and a ground effect diffuser. The wings are replaceable with road and track variations. There is the option to fit a tow bar and off road tyres which make it a useful day to day car. The interior of the T1 lacks any amenities and luxuries to reduce excess weight. The passenger's seat is set back from the driver's seat slightly, allowing the seats to be placed closer together, thereby reducing the overall width of the T1. A head protection system is placed, a six-point harnesses for the driver and passenger, compatible with a HANS device. The car is designed with a central safety cell made of a high-strength steel roll hoop with a fire system. The dashboard is multi-function with race data logging and speed sensors for traction control as well as the launch control. On top of all these, the car has an Indian connection. The car company, Caparo is owned by an Indian, Angad Paul. The T1 is a fusion of western technology and eastern ingenuity. Labels: Caparo-T1, Formula-One, Racing-Car
 Research has been going on a new engineering philosophy called ‘EfficientDynamics’. BMWis the pioneer to this concept. The German luxury car manufacturer has been advocating on the reduction of emissions and fuel consumption for its product development strategy. The new ‘EfficientDynamics’ concept involves around the quest for an enhanced and athletic driving experience while lowering the fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions at the same time. BMW is in the making of its new concept car called the Vision. The BMW Vision car is a 2+2 seater that runs on plug-in hybrid technology. This concept car has the performance of a BMW M-series and a decent fuel efficiency and emission management that exceeds even the current levels achieved by the latest small cars. This car can prove that its EfficientDynamics objectives are compatible with a sports car. This extra-ordinary concept car will make its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this month. The BMW Vision is driven by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo diesel engine and twin electric motors, one on each axle, powered by a lithium-polymer battery, with all three units working together under supervision from an advanced energy management system. The fuel engine can churn out a total power output of 356bhp. But when the car is driven on battery fuel, the Vision EfficientDynamics could then be driven on all the four wheels and results in minimum power loss and harmonious transmission of power are available under all conditions. The car can accelerate from static to 100km/h in five seconds, has an electronically limited top speed of 248km/h and still manages to achieve an astonishing 27.77km/l of fuel efficiency, and a very low overall CO2 emissions rating of 50gm/km. Running on diesel alone, the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics has a range of about 650km and can go for another 50km on electric power alone. At present we have no idea as when the BMW Vision car will go into production. But we promise you to keep you updated. Labels: BMW-Cars, Concept-Car, Sports-Car
Wednesday, 2 September 2009
Hyundai Motors has unexpectedly launched its face lifted version of its flag-ship model, Santro. Hyundai’s first car in India and the so called original tall boy, Santro has set a firm footing since its official introduction in 1998. The new face lifted Santro has been designed with luxurious interiors and improved exterior features to grab the attention of the customers. The new face lifted Hyundai Santro comes with a price tag of Rs 2,63,999 for the Non-AC while Santro GLS (LPG) will carry a premium of 3,69,499.Ex showroom Delhi. The colour scheme in the new face lifted Santro will come in 8 exciting colours such as Crystal White, Black Diamond, Sleek Silver, Electric Red, Dark Grey, Silky Beige, Berry Red and Sparkle Blue to appease the buyers. The original ‘Tall Boy’ Santro has been continuously improved to meet the changing customer needs and has kept itself abreast of the latest technology and design. While the new Santro continues to be powered by the trusted 1.1 eRLX Epsilon engine that develops a whopping 62 bhp and has a proven fuel-economy, durability and power-efficiency. The new face lifted Santro has many added features to considerably raise the bar for cars in this segment. On the exterior the new Santro will be distinguished by a body coloured Radiator Grille and Full Wheel Cover and the rear gets decidedly more sporty with the addition of a Rear Spoiler which further highlights the new look Santro. For the interiors, the new face lifted Santro boasts of several significant design revisions with premium sophisticated new fabric in dual-tone Beige & Brown with premium silver touches at multiple locations which adds significantly to the spacious interiors and enhances the visual appeal of the interiors. A rear parcel tray has been added to provide convenient storing for utility items. The new sporty front seats add to the style and comfort factors. Labels: Face-Lifted-Hyundai-Santro, Hyundai-Motors-India, New-Car-Launch
Give your car a bubble bath to make it fuel efficient. Seriously? Well, this time we are joking. But soap bubbles do boost up the mileage of a car. Read further to know how and why. A team of engineers at the automotive research consultants Mira in Nuneaton, UK, are in the process of making a system that utilises soap bubbles filled with helium to improve the fuel efficiency of cars in future. The team made use of twelve cameras to track the 3-millimetre bubbles swirling around the car in a wind tunnel, thus capturing the flow of air in a remarkable detail. The helium in the soap bubbles imparts a neutral buoyancy-left to the bubbles and as a result of it these bubbles will neither rise nor fall in the air. Besides, any up or down movement can be attributed to air flow around the car. At present there is no tool that can give such insight into what’s going on in the fluid around a car. Today’s potential car customers have started to consider economy and carbon emissions when selecting a new car. This is a major reason behind lying of emphasis on aerodynamics these days by car makers. Therefore, cutting a car’s air resistance is an easier and cheaper method of decreasing the air drag and a much better way than reworking on an entire engine or drivetrain. Hence the soap bubble technique is a cheaper and better way of looking at the car aerodymanics. This technique has long been used to see how air moves around a structure without much success. With the new camera system, an unprecedented detail has been revealed as the camera can capture the precise movement of individual bubbles in 3D for later analysis and exploration. There are sensors that can determine how the car interacts with the air rushing past. The bubble-tracking approach captures the speed as well as the direction of air flow, which makes it more useful than existing tracking techniques such as injecting smoke trails around the car. The team is considering on building a machine which will be able to produce larger bubbles and this will make easier for the camera to capture all the movements of the bubbles. Labels: Aerodynamics, Carbon-Emission, Fuel-efficiency
It seems like India certainly has arrived in the big scene of motoring. India as a whole could be the “Detroit of the East” soon with so many major car brands bringing their production centre to “Incredible India”. India has taken the centre stage producing small cars and the global automakers already seem to have been enchanted with the sub-continent for this sole purpose. India is all set to pip China in the automotive production scene and earn all the automotive laurels to itself when it comes to small cars. We in India already have Suzuki Motor Corporation pitching in with the erstwhile Maruti Udyog to become Maruti Suzuki India which has already scripted a success story for itself in style in the span of twenty five years. Hyundai Motors, a Korean car company soon followed suit and set shop here and has marched in India with their superior products and now has already exporting cars to European countries keeping India as its production base for small cars. Likewise, Toyota Motor Corporation tagging along with the Kirloskar Group in India about a decade ago also started producing cars here in India and already acknowledged the fact that the Indian operations of the company has stood still even with the recession taking its toll in other countries abroad. Toyota also plans to come up with a small car factory by 2011. General Motors which has its presence in India with the Chevrolet brand stood firm ground during “Motown Meltdown” which affected its parent company in the US and other countries. It also might have contributed to the revival of the parent company. Business for Chevy here in India is blooming in an unexpected pace making GM count on GM India as a profit making venture. Tata Motors earlier a commercial vehicle manufacturer barged into the great Indian Motoring scene with the advent of its Tata Indica and soon went up to produce more models of which the Tata Nano certainly awaits a mention. This small wonder has broken all the barriers the motoring world ever knew and will soon become a cash cow for Tata Motors once the export of the Tata Nano begins. Another Indian auto manufacturer Mahindra and Mahindra also has known the importance of India as a production hub and has already started exporting its products to lucrative auto markets like that south-east Asia, America, Europe, Africa and Australia. Honda, Ford, Mitsubishi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Fiat and Skoda all have their production plants in India already. Audi, Nissan, Renault and PSA Peugeot-Citroen have also confirmed their participation in this big production marathon here in India. India expects a lot of other auto manufactures to set shop here in India. But why is this big rush of global auto makers queuing in line to set shop in India? There are many benefits in India, including a high-quality vendor base that is also cost-effective, leading to globally-competitive pricing. In coming days we surely can see a lot of global auto makers emulate companies like Hyundai and Maruti Suzuki, which make small cars in India to export to Europe. Labels: Car-Exports, Global-Automakers, Small-Car
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
The number one car manufacturer of India is planning to go green. Maruti Suzuki feels that it is the high time for the car company to introduce a green car in the Indian market. The company is considering the Indo-Thai trade pact viable for this project as it will enable the car company to buy the required car parts and accessories at a low cost. The demand for a highly fuel-efficient car in the Indian market has prompted Maruti to drive in an eco-car. Suzuki Motor Corporation has developed a green car for the Thai market. The same will be launched in India in near future. The Japanese car major Suzuki Motor Corporation will be launching a small car with a Euro IV engines of up to 1,300 cc under the Thai government’s special eco-car programme. This eco-car will have an excellent fuel efficiency of 20km/l and will emit less than 120 grams of CO2 emissions per km. Suzuki Motor Corporation had earlier planned to set up a manufacturing unit with 1.38 Lakh of green car per year capacity in Thailand, with $280 million investment. But the company had to curb the plan because of the ongoing global slump. Under the Thai government’s plan, majority of these green cars were meant for exports and Suzuki Motor Corporation had earlier considered of selling 10-15% of its total production in Thailand and export the rest to ASEAN and Australia. As the idea of exporting of fully-built cars from Thailand to India is ruled out, the Indian subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation is considering on bringing knocked-down versions of the car to be assembled in India. The parent company has aided Maruti Suzuki launch half-a-dozen new cars in the past two years as it looks to expand its product portfolio and retain its over 50% market share in India. The new eco car will certainly allure the Indian Ministry and will attract huge excise benefits and concessional tax sops. Labels: Green-Car, Maruti-Suzuki, Suzuki-Motor-Corporation
Human beings have a fixation about faces. We are highly social beings and, as such, evolution has equipped us with the ability to infer with a glance the age, sex, predominant emotions as well as the personality of another human being in a matter of seconds. In fact we seem to be so attuned to faces that we see them in clouds, in stones, in plants. Now anthropologists from the University of Vienna are scientifically exploring whether this face-fixation also extends to man-made objects like cars. Is a vehicle ‘friendly’ or is it ‘powerful’? What is it about a car that produces either impression? Twenty men and women, each between the age of 19 and 33 years, were asked to look at the front view of 38 different car models on monitors. A clear majority associated faces with at least 70 per cent of the cars. One third of the test subjects saw faces in 90 per cent or more of the vehicles. The models shown had to be appraised according to characteristics associated with people: were they more masculine or feminine, adult or childish, hostile or friendly? The scale values found for each car were averaged per characteristic, and these averages were ranged in two categories, namely ‘power’ and ‘sociability’. A research team led by Sonja Windhager and Karl Grammer used methods of geometric morphometry to correlate the rating for each car model with the anatomy of the front portion of the car. Pictures of the front portions of the car were provided with landmarks and these were digitalised as two-dimensional coordinates according to the same formula. Then individual landmarks sets were superimposed on each other according to a certain statistical method. A medium car was created, correlating the values for power and sociability. A specific shape, represented with grid lines emerged according to how the landmark sets were positioned. All in all, a precise numerical value and the gridline model were used to derive the most desirable structural details for ‘powerful’ and ‘sociable’ cars. According to Truls Thorstensen of project partner EFS Management Consultancy, such information can benefit car designers as well as explain success stories. Mercedes E-Class and Mercedes C-Class topped the charts according to the survey with the power and sociability content present in both closely followed by BMW 3-Series and BMW 5-Series. Some of the other cars in the list were Honda Civic, Maybach, Audi 6, Suzuki Swift, Toyota Prius, Volkswagen Passat , Volkswagen New Beetle and Mini Cooper. Labels: BMW-5-Series, Mercedes-C-Class, Suzuki-Swift
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